School of War Can Trump Beat China by Winning In Iran? with Zineb Riboua
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Mar 17, 2026 Zineb Riboua, research fellow at the Hudson Institute who analyzes China and the Middle East. She discusses how the U.S.-Israeli campaign could undermine Chinese investments in Iran. She outlines China’s economic and energy ties, its shadow oil networks, and how regional leverage plays into great-power competition. She also covers strategic timing between Washington and Beijing and risks in the Strait of Hormuz.
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China's Long Game In The Middle East
- China built deep economic and strategic dependencies in the Middle East to secure energy, tech ties, and leverage over U.S. allies.
- Zineb Riboua cites Chinese investment, 5G/digital Silk Road deals, and Iran partnerships as parts of a multi-decade strategy vulnerable to disruption.
Iran As China's Sanctions Insurance
- China saw Iran as a lever for shadow finance, supply corridors, and regional influence that could blunt western sanctions.
- Riboua explains China helped build Iranian economic architecture and used Iran to create alternative banking and trade channels.
This Operation Targets China's Regional Levers
- Operation Epic Fury aims specifically to dismantle instruments China used in the region, not merely distract U.S. forces.
- Riboua contrasts asymmetric Red Sea disruptions with a targeted military campaign attacking Iranian capabilities and networks.