Last year, the richest countries in the Persian Gulf pledged to pump trillions of dollars of investment into the U.S. in a bid to charm President Trump and strengthen ties.

Today that warm financial embrace is suddenly under stress.

“Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war?” prominent Dubai businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor asked Trump in a post on X Thursday. The president, he said, placed the Gulf states “at the heart of a danger they did not choose.”

Before the war broke out, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar had been behind a surge of U.S. investment, publicly embracing Trump closer than any U.S. president in recent history through use of their deep pockets.

The three countries’ massive pledges—over $3 trillion between them—were used by Trump to demonstrate a flood of investment coming to the U.S. The countries had become go-to sources of funding for various Trump priorities ranging from AI initiatives to a rebuilding plan for Gaza.

The conflict “raises new questions about the Gulf countries’ capability and interest in investing in the U.S.,” said Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank.

If it persists, Ziemba said, the conflict could shake up the countries’ own finances—reducing revenue from oil and gas while prompting them to spend more on defense. The result could mean less cash to splash abroad.

Soon after arriving back in the White House last year, Trump found willing partners in the Gulf monarchies. His first major foreign trip was in a spring 2025 visit to the three states, where pledges of investment were sandwiched between grandiose welcomes on red and lavender-colored carpets and splashy dinners. 

Since, financial dealings with the Gulf have only grown, such as a planned Disneyland theme park in Abu Dhabi and the donation of a jumbo jet from Qatar.

Businesses including private-equity firm Blackstone BX -4.56%decrease; red down pointing triangle and software maker Cisco Systems CSCO -1.37%decrease; red down pointing triangle pledged investments in data centers around the Gulf.

Trump’s family business and close associates have struck a number of deals there, too, raising money for crypto and private-equity ventures. Trump-branded residential towers and luxury golf courses are poised to appear in Qatar, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dubai.

The Gulf countries’ sovereign-wealth funds have been behind a series of high-profile acquisitions of giant companies, including the Saudi-backed $55 billion buyout of videogame maker Electronic Arts and an Abu Dhabi fund’s deal to acquire advertising companyClear Channel Outdoor Holdings. Funds from all three countries had backed Paramount Skydance’s effort late last year to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

Just how the conflict might affect the flow of money depends on how it unspools, but economists have begun to downgrade their forecasts for the region. 

Select excerpts above- read at the link provided

YNET News

The UAE just broke OPEC — Israel must not squander this opening

Opinion: Abu Dhabi’s break with the Saudi-led oil cartel exposes a shifting Gulf order, giving Jerusalem a chance to deepen energy, security and trade ties with the UAE beyond the symbolism of the Abraham Accords

On paper, Abu Dhabi framed the decision as a matter of production flexibility, saying it wants the freedom to set policy according to its own long-term energy interests, without being bound by the cartel’s collective discipline. But in the Middle East, especially in the Gulf, nothing is only technical.

For decades, OPEC’s power rested not only on the number of barrels pumped out of the ground but on discipline: producers accepted limits, kept their disputes behind closed doors and projected a united front even as rivalries simmered beneath the surface. The UAE has now punctured that façade.

That is the first major consequence. OPEC becomes weaker not necessarily because oil prices collapse tomorrow, but because the mythology of control has been damaged.

The second consequence is aimed squarely at Saudi Arabia. The relationship between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi has long been presented as a Gulf partnership. It is also a rivalry.

Wonder how Saudi Arabia will deal with this?

This is where Israel should pay close attention.

The UAE has just signaled that it is prepared to break old frameworks when they no longer serve its interests, and Israel should take the hint. Since the Abraham Accords, the two countries have built a relationship rooted in trade, technology, security cooperation and shared concern over Iran, but it has not yet reached its full strategic potential. Abu Dhabi’s break with OPEC is a chance to move beyond symbolism, business delegations and polite conferences, and turn the partnership into something far more consequential.

First, Israel should position itself as a regional energy and infrastructure partner. The UAE wants flexibility, diversification and resilience. Israel can offer technology in cybersecurity, port security, desalination, energy storage, grid protection and drone defense. The Iran war has shown that energy infrastructure is now a front line. Israel and the UAE should build a joint energy security framework focused on protecting pipelines, ports, tankers, refineries and offshore assets.
We have already seen early signs of this budding cooperation, with Israel deploying an Iron Dome air defense battery to the UAE during the war, along with Israeli personnel to operate it and help defend its Gulf ally.

Second, Israel should move quickly on trade corridors. A UAE less tied to OPEC discipline and more focused on independent global reach will be looking for reliable routes to Europe and the Mediterranean

Third, Israel should use this moment to strengthen the moderate regional camp

Fourth, Israel should coordinate with Washington. The UAE’s move is also a win for U.S. pressure on OPEC. Israel can help frame the development as part of a broader realignment: energy producers, technology powers and security partners working outside old cartel logic to contain Iran and stabilize markets.

Iran enters cold war like phase..

The Iran conflict has entered a Cold War-like phase of financial sanctions, gunboat interdictions and talks about having talks.

Why it matters: The tense stalemate has no immediate end in sight. So higher energy prices appear certain for months — and a hot war could break out at any moment.

The big picture: Several U.S. officials told Axios they’re concerned about America getting drawn into a frozen conflict of no war and no deal.

In this scenario, the U.S. would have to keep its forces in the region for many more months. The Strait of Hormuz would stay closed, the U.S. blockade would remain, and both sides would continue waiting for the other to blink or fire first.
With the November midterm elections now six months away, "a frozen conflict is the worst thing for Trump politically and economically," one source close to the president said.

Zoom in: President Trump is vacillating between launching new military strikes or waiting to see whether his “maximum pressure” financial sanctions make Iran more inclined to negotiate an end to its nuclear weapons program, according to five advisers who have spoken with him.

"All [Iran's leaders] understand is bombs," Trump recently told one adviser, who relayed the comment to Axios.
"I would describe him as frustrated but realistic," the adviser said. "He doesn't want to use force. But he's not backing down."

Read both articles entirely at the links provided

Diplomats from almost every nation will convene in New York this week to review the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

What is the NPT?

The NPT is considered a cornerstone of international law in relation to nuclear weapons and disarmament. It has the widest membership of any arms control agreement, with 190 states. These include five countries that manufactured and exploded nuclear weapons before 1967 – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. All other members do not have nuclear weapons.

North Korea is the only state to have joined the NPT and then renounced it. India, Israel and Pakistan, all nuclear-armed, along with South Sudan, are the only countries that have never joined.

Iran’s Foreign Minister arrives in Russia to meet President Putin

Araghchi’s plane arrived in St. Petersburg at about 5:30 a.m. local time. Additionally, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali explained that the Iranian minister would hold consultations with Russian officials on “the current status of talks, the ceasefire, and developments around the conflict” with the U.S. and Israel.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be meeting Araghchi and the Iranian delegation.

Iran submits new proposal: Top conditions

I’m not a fan of unnamed officials making claims. So, I have some doubts

The new proposal seeks to overcome the current deadlock in the talks and solve internal disagreements within the Iranian leadership regarding the extent of nuclear concessions it is willing to make to reach a final deal with the U.S.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Axios that during talks in Islamabad, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed with his counterparts a new proposal that attempts to overcome the current impasse over the nuclear program

Trump and Melania greet King Charles and Camilla

Touching down in the nation’s capital under a cloud of security and fierce political tension, King Charles III and Queen Camilla officially kicked off their four–day state visit on Monday.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were on hand to welcome the royal couple at the White House on Monday afternoon. 

Ukraine Summons Israeli Ambassador regarding “stolen grain”

• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on calls Ukraine’s statement ‘allegations,’ adding that ‘evidence substantiating the allegations have yet to be provided’

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the Israeli ambassador to present a protest note and request action on Tuesday over a vessel carrying what Kyiv says is “stolen grain” to the northern port city of Haifa.

Is it stolen grain? I don’t know.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha “once again” warned Israel against accepting the vessel and harming relations with Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Monday called Ukraine’s statement “allegations,” adding that “evidence substantiating the allegations have yet to be provided.”

“Dear Minister, diplomatic relations, especially between friendly nations, are not conducted on Twitter or in the media,” he wrote on the US social media company X.

He underlined that Ukraine has not submitted a request for legal assistance “before turning to the media and social networks.”

Saar emphasized that “the matter will be examined” and all Israeli authorities “will act in accordance with the law.”

Is Ukraine playing tough guy on social media for propaganda purposes?

Link

A US naval blockade of Iranian ports is likely to squeeze Iran’s oil output in the coming weeks but claims it will throw the Islamic republic into economic free fall remain premature, analysts say. After weeks of bombing and counter-strikes, focus has shifted to the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, which ordinarily carries around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

In response to Iran’s blockade of the strait since the start of the Middle East war, the US imposed a counter-blockade of the Islamic republic’s ports, a push to force its leaders into a compromise in peace talks.

That bid, however, looks set to fail, at least in the short term. “If the blockade lasts for more than two or three months, it can cause more damage” to Iran, economic analyst and professor at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran Saeed Laylaz told AFP. “If Iran suffers any damage, the damage to the countries in the southern Persian Gulf will definitely be greater,” he added. There’s a limit on how long Iran can bide its time, however.

Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management said Iran “was expected to run out of storage capacity within approximately one month, but it may already be forced to shut in part of its oil production within a couple of weeks”.

Trump said Tuesday that Iran was “collapsing financially” under the blockade imposed by the US Navy on April 12, claiming that the country was “starving for cash”. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the blockade meant storage at Iran’s Kharg Island, the main export terminal through which most of the country’s crude is shipped, “will be full and the fragile Iranian oil wells will be shut in”. Jamie Ingram, managing editor of Middle East Economic Survey (MEES), told AFP it was likely the timeline for Iran to hit its oil storage limits would be measured in “weeks rather than days”.

He added it was likely that “Iran will slightly reduce production before getting to the stage where storage constraints start to bite”. According to analysis by oil expert Homayoun Falakshahi shared by energy intelligence firm Kpler, Iran’s crude production has already slowed since the start of the war.

But Laylaz in Tehran said beyond the psychological effect of the blockade, the “real material effect has been small so far”.

Ingram said Kharg Island “shouldn’t be a particular bottleneck,” for Iran. “This is the final storage facility used before oil is exported and Iran can divert crude oil to other facilities rather than straight to Kharg,” he said.

U.S. targets China’s shadow trade with Iran in sweeping sanctions

The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sweeping sanctions on 40 shipping firms and vessels, as well as a Chinese oil refinery, in a widening crackdown on maritime business with the Iranian regime.

The majority of sanctioned vessels are either Chinese-linked operations or have a history of delivering crude oil to China as the final destination.

The sanctions are the largest tranche of such measures targeting Iran’s shadow fleet since the war began.

It comes at a complex moment in U.S.-China relations, with Trump set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit in Beijing next month. The meeting was already delayed from March because of the war in Iran.

With a third U.S. aircraft carrier, more warships and thousands of new troops heading toward the Middle East, President Donald Trump will soon have more options to keep up U.S. military strikes or put boots on the ground, maintaining pressure on Iran even after he extended a ceasefire. The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier, along with three missile-armed destroyers and roughly 5,000 highly-trained soldiers, is en route to the region, according to the Financial Times, citing unnamed United States officials. They will join at least 24 warships and more than 50,000 troops already in the region, where the U.S. has amassed its largest build-up of forces since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Thousands of these troops are specially trained for seizing chunks of land in hostile territory.

If they do make this move look for Kurds and MEK to participate- The US has groomed these terror groups for a very, very, very long time.

The additional deployment comes as Trump said he would grant a Pakistani request to continue holding off on attacks on Iran until progress could be made in peace talks or a new proposal takes shape. Iran says it won’t negotiate under U.S. threats, and a senior Iranian adviser called the extension a “ploy to buy time for a surprise strike” on X. Trump, meanwhile, has firmly kept up a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and fresh military force remains an option on the table. The U.S. is “ready” to restart its heavy bombing campaign, its forces “raring to go,” he said on Tuesday. Another aircraft carrier moving into the area would help Trump follow through on this claim or even escalate the war into a ground invasion scenario.

How Much New Firepower Is Going to the Middle East?

Each aircraft carrier, including the USS George H.W. Bush, is manned by thousands of personnel, ferrying dozens of fighter jets and caches of precision weapons to wherever they are needed. They don’t travel alone. An aircraft carrier is accompanied by two or three destroyers, which can launch long-range missiles like Tomahawks deep into Iranian territory and shoot down enemy weapons trying to hit the aircraft carrier. Three destroyers can usually fire just under 300 missiles in total, both to protect the carrier and to attack targets such as depots or command centers in Iran. While the carrier itself doesn’t fire missiles, up to around 90 jets can perch on its deck. Each jet is loaded with a combination of precision weapons, including missiles that they can fire from the air into Iran. When the Bush arrives in the Middle East, it will bring all this with it, collectively known as a carrier strike group. This will both beef up the U.S.’s ability to hit Iran hard, as Trump has repeatedly threatened, and give another of its aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford, a chance to rest.

As I’d posted five days ago- this build up was reported in the Turkish media-

LINK– Lebanese

U.S. President Donald Trump said that, given what he described as deep divisions within the Iranian government, ( I DON’T THINK SO LIAR TRUMP) which he said was not unusual, and following a request from Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the planned U.S. action against Iran had been postponed to allow its leaders and representatives to present a unified proposal.

He added that he had instructed the military to continue the blockade and remain fully prepared on all fronts, and that the ceasefire would be extended until such a proposal is presented and discussions are concluded in any form.

Indefinitely?

Iran didn’t attend this most recent round of negotiations- So, Trump “extended the ceasefire deal”

Iran to skip Wednesday negotiations with U.S. in Pakistan, Tasnim reports

Iran has decided not to participate in scheduled negotiations with the United States set for Wednesday in Pakistan, the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

Citing informed sources, the agency said the Iranian negotiating delegation had conveyed to the United States, via a Pakistani intermediary, that it would not travel to Islamabad for the planned talks.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump was considering cancelling Vice President J.D. Vance’s planned visit to Pakistan for talks related to Iran

J.D Vance didn’t go, because there were no negotiations. To my knowledge Witkoff and Kushner remained in the US.

Patrick Cockburn

The ceasefire in the war between the US and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other, which runs out on Wednesday, looks more fragile by the day. But though the US and Iran cannot agree on concrete steps towards peace, neither do they show much appetite for renewed war.

The US Navy has fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship while enforcing a blockade on Iran’s Gulf ports – something that Iran has described as an act of piracy. The Iranians say they will retaliate for the US breaching the ceasefire, and trust between the sides is at zero.

But a second phase of the war is unlikely to be any more conclusive than the first. Donald Trump could destroy more of Iran’s infrastructure, much as the US did in Iraq in 1991, which took 20 years to repair. Yet the threat of this is not going to lead to an Iranian capitulation – or even significant concessions on uranium enrichment or Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump still has overwhelming military force on his side, but his original goals – notably a regime change in Iran – are now further away than when the US and Israel first attacked on 28 February.

Both sides have opportunities for escalation and counter-escalation, but not for launching knock-out blows. Iran has found, somewhat to its own surprise, that it has the capacity to inflict serious damage on the world by keeping the Strait closed, and it can cripple the economies of the Arab states on the south side of the Gulf. Paradoxically, Iran has become a global power, but one that cannot control its own skies or defend its 92 million people from relentless air strikes.

The mood among Iranian leaders is evidently more confident than it was – they have weathered five-and-a-half weeks of war and the loss of many of them. But they are still the inferior power and without serious allies. They cannot defend themselves against a US-Israeli scorched-earth policy as visited upon Gaza and south Beirut.

This does not mean, however, that Iran is without counter-escalatory options. Simply keeping the Strait of Hormuz shut is one. Getting the Houthis in Yemen to close the Bab-el-Mandeb strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is another. This would sever Saudi oil exports from the Red Sea, but the Houthis will not be enthusiastic to enrage Saudi Arabia. Another option might be to cut the Saudi east-west pipeline circumventing the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ending a war in which both sides still believe they have a chance of changing the military and political balance in their favour would never be easy. But in this case Trump still insists he has won, and his messages on Truth Social about a beaten Iranian leadership begging for a deal are fantasy served up to his own hardcore supporters. But how far does he himself believe this – and how desperate is he for a deal before higher oil and gas prices do the Republicans further damage in the midterm elections?

On Truth Social he cites obscure polls showing that his handling of the war is popular, but every other survey shows that it is not. The brief Iranian opening – with caveats – of the Strait of Hormuz followed by its closure because of the continuing US blockade makes Washington look like the obstinate one.

Whatever happens at talks in Islamabad, in Pakistan, it is difficult to see how lasting agreement can spring from Trump-style diplomacy conducted by amateur diplomats such as his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his real estate crony Steve Witkoff, both of whom Trump says are heading to negotiations. Iran says it has not decided if it will send its envoys, thought it said on Monday afternoon that it was “positively reviewing” its participation.

Successful talks look unlikely and there is a chance the US President will opt for an escalation – as he has done during previous talks with Iran. But his chances of winning a decisive victory do not look good.

In my very many years of covering current events- this is one of the worst “shit shows” yet. Sorry for the language, but, that’s exactly how it is. Brought upon us all by Trump and Bibi and NO ONE ELSE.

Over to any of you who may want to express an opinion, some frustration, whatever…

With the cease-fire process that began on April 9, the future of the war in Iran remains uncertain. Although efforts are being made to keep the process moving despite various setbacks, the fact that the conditions put forward by the parties do not align is stalling the process.

It appears that the demands, which can be summarized in about 10 points, have become deadlocked on three critical issues: the elimination of Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the transfer of enriched uranium to the United States, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the cessation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Additionally, issues such as cutting off Iran’s support for proxy forces, disarming Hezbollah and reducing the range of Iran’s tactical ballistic missiles remain unresolved between the parties.

Looking at the broader picture, the process is proceeding less as a negotiation and more as a clash between U.S. demands and Iran’s resistance.

Then, why is a cease-fire table assembled?

There may be three main reasons for the U.S. shift toward a cease-fire: domestic political pressures and economic costs, international isolation and most importantly, the depletion of missile stockpiles in the Gulf region to 30%. The fact that the U.S. has failed to achieve its military and political objectives in the war also supports this situation. Iran’s missile capabilities have not been eliminated, its nuclear facilities have not been destroyed and the regime has not been overthrown. Furthermore, the influence of a provocative actor like Israel on the U.S. continues to this day.

One of the most striking and even unusual aspects of this process is that the cease-fire is limited to 15 days. While cease-fires in international relations are typically not time-bound, the fact that a specific date has been set here is noteworthy. This raises a critical question: Does the U.S. truly want to end the war, or is it using the cease-fire negotiations to buy time for greater military preparations?

Developments on the ground offer important clues for understanding the answer to this question.

Iran tends not to retaliate unless directly attacked. However, following 40 days of fighting, it is working to heal its wounds, address its shortcomings and rebuild its capabilities. At the same time, it is striving to enhance its military strength with support from Russia and China.

On the U.S. side, there is significantly more active military movement.

Ground forces have been deployed to the region. A brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division, marines brought in from South Korea and the 142nd Artillery Brigade are deployed in the region. In terms of naval power, one aircraft carrier is in the Eastern Mediterranean, another is south of Oman and a third is reportedly en route to the region.

In addition, the U.S. is conducting intensive ammunition transfers using C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. Tomahawk missiles, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot air defense systems are being deployed to the region. There is also information indicating that a significant portion of ammunition from U.S. forces in Europe has been redirected to the Gulf.

Furthermore, the U.S. is working to establish a new air defense system in the Middle East. Mobile tactical radars and the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) early warning aircraft have been deployed to replace the fixed radars destroyed by Iran. Israel is also being heavily supported in this context.

The issue of mines in the Gulf is also noteworthy. The mines laid by Iran off Basra are intended for coastal defense and do not obstruct maritime traffic. Therefore, the U.S.’s mine-clearing efforts may point to a different objective: paving the way for a potential amphibious operation. This scenario strengthens the likelihood that the U.S. has planned a ground attack on Iran from the Strait of Hormuz and the Basra coast. The artillery units deployed to the region are also a significant indicator supporting this possibility.

In light of all this data, it can be assessed that the U.S. is using the current process not as a cease-fire but as a new strategic buildup process. Unlike the initial buildup, which was leader-focused and had limited objectives, this time it appears a broader plan has been devised – one that is longer-term, more intensive and incorporates different operational methods. April 22 stands before us as the critical threshold that will determine the direction of this process.

Iran rejects US President Trump’s Uranium transfer claim

Iran rejects Donald Trump’s claims that there was an agreement on moving enriched uranium to the US. Also challenging other Trump statements

etc., read at the link

Bessent says Chinese Banks Warned about Secondary Sanctions

The Treasury Department warns China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Oman

The warning comes the day after the Treasury Department sent a letter to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the UAE, and Oman, threatening to levy secondary sanctions for doing business with Iran, and accusing those countries of allowing Iranian illicit activities to flow through their financial institutions.

Bessent told reporters that two Chinese banks have received warnings about handling Iranian money. Trump is preparing to visit Beijing next month for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

That meeting now set to take place in May was postponed from earlier this year

President Trump’s planned visit to Beijing has been postponed to May 14 to 15 because of the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. What does the delay signal about the state of U.S.-China relations

It’s Brookings so, expect a bias

The Conversation

The US blockade can be seen as the latest attempt by the Trump administration to project strength. But it also throws down a challenge to Beijing. China has been the main purchaser of Iranian oil in recent years and is one of the few nations whose shipping can enter the strait unchallenged.

However, the US seizure of any Chinese shipping could certainly provoke a more dangerous outcome, with the prospect of increased tensions or even conflict with Beijing. Should the US seize a Chinese vessel, Beijing could see this as an act of war on Washington’s part, if it chooses to interpret such an incident as an American effort to strangle the Chinese economy.

While an armed clash between the US and China in the Persian Gulf is unlikely, it is possible that Beijing may deploy its fleet stationed in Djibouti to the region. China’s base in Djibouti is home to its 48th escort group which has previously performed anti-piracy operations in the region as well as escort duties for Chinese-owned ships in the region. This which raises the question over whether Washington would be willing to fire on Chinese warships to enforce its blockade

Would Washington be willing?

How Trump’s gambit helps China..

In addition, the potential shortage of petroleum can open the door for wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), with Chinese firms such as BYD being potential beneficiaries of a future EV boom. This echoes the popularity of Japanese cars during the Opec crisis of the 1970s, due to their comparatively high fuel efficiency in contrast to American and European models.

As a result, a prolonged Middle East oil crisis may see firms such as BYD become household names, furthering the influence of “Brand China”.

Alongside these, the crisis may further China’s push to present itself as a more stable partner in contrast to Washington’s more chaotic approach. (Yah!) This has gained traction due to the perceived unpredictability of the Trump administration over the past 15 months.

China already has a comparatively favourable global image when compared to the US. A wider conflict with Iran will probably take this further. As a result, the path of the Rich Starry may chart the course of the Sino-American competition and the world that this competition will shape.

Unintended consequences…