President-elect Donald J. Trump has made big promises on Ukraine, Iran, China and crises around the globe. But he will have to make difficult choices.

China has been strengthening its ties to Iran in recent years, and that has included support to Iran's regional proxies—notably the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It is part of a burgeoning partnership or even a de facto alliance between Tehran and China.

As the threat of "snapback" sanctions looms over Iran, Tehran is seeking to leverage its strategic relationship with China to counter Western pressure.

Iran is pushing to recoup 25 million barrels of oil from China that has been stuck for six years in Chinese ports due to sanctions imposed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump, three Iranian and one Chinese source familiar with the matter said.

On Chinese social media, some want Iran to go nuclear – but others think it should learn from China’s “reform and opening.”

During the Senate confirmation hearings, Bessent called China an 'unbalanced economy,' and described the nation as being in a 'severe recession'

Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed that the United States is in a "stronger, more secure position" than four years ago under President Trump.

According to the newspaper, Trump told his advisers about the desire to visit China to strengthen relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping. No final decision was made but the elected US leader expressed the desire to make the visit during the first 100 days after the inauguration. Trump visited China last time in 2017.

The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, has said that the West is not prepared for the challenges that will come over the next five years and that it’s time to “shift to a wartime mindset.” Kori Schake,

As C.I.A. director, William J. Burns was deeply focused on China and Russia when the Middle East conflict plunged him back into his old life.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a broad cooperation agreement, deepening their already growing partnership.