AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Washington Post has revealed that a classified U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that China is achieving broad strategic gains from the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran across military, economic, diplomatic, and media domains—developments that have reportedly heightened concern within the U.S. defense establishment regarding the geopolitical consequences of the conflict.
According to the report, published by Washington Post journalist John Hudson and citing American officials familiar with the assessment, the analysis was prepared this week for General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The timing coincided with a sensitive visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid growing American concerns over China’s expanding global influence.
The Washington Post stated that the report was prepared by the intelligence directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff using the analytical framework known as “DAIM,” which evaluates four instruments of national power: diplomacy, information, military capability, and economics.
China’s Expanding International Position
According to the assessment, Beijing has used the U.S.-led war against Iran to strengthen its international standing while Washington has depleted significant portions of its military and economic resources.
The report further states that since the outbreak of the war involving the United States and Israel against Iran, China has increased arms sales to American allies in the Persian Gulf—states that have reportedly come under Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting military bases and oil infrastructure.
Beijing has also reportedly capitalized on the global energy crisis that intensified following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by providing assistance and energy supplies to countries affected by disruptions in oil deliveries.
Erosion of U.S. Capabilities
According to the newspaper, the intelligence report emphasizes that the war has consumed large quantities of U.S. munitions, particularly interceptor missiles and precision-guided bombs—systems considered strategically critical in the event of a future confrontation between the United States and China over Taiwan.
The report additionally states that the conflict has provided China with an opportunity to closely study the operational management of modern warfare by the U.S. military and incorporate those observations into future strategic planning.
The Washington Post further wrote that China has exploited the political and propaganda dimensions of the war against Iran by characterizing the conflict as unlawful, a position aligned with Beijing’s broader effort to undermine America’s image as the guarantor of a rules-based international order.
According to the report, Chinese leadership views the conflict as evidence of what it describes as Washington’s reckless and interventionist reliance on military power.
Official Responses From Washington and Beijing
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, responding to the Washington Post, dismissed claims that the global balance of power had shifted in favor of another country, insisting that the U.S. military remains the world’s strongest armed force.
White House spokesperson Olivia Viles stated that Washington had succeeded within 38 days in destroying Iran’s military capabilities and claimed the United States had implemented one of the most successful naval blockades in modern history.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Washington declared that Beijing remains committed to de-escalation and the strengthening of peace, urging all parties to focus on preventing the return of conflict rather than exploiting the situation to damage the reputation of other countries.
Concern Among U.S. Allies
Jacob Stokes told the Washington Post that the war against Iran has significantly improved China’s geopolitical position, while the depletion of U.S. military stockpiles has increased concern among Washington’s Asian allies—including Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea—regarding America’s capacity to respond rapidly to a potential conflict with China.
China Strengthens Regional Relations
The report also notes that China has managed to mitigate much of the energy crisis through reliance on large strategic oil reserves and accelerated development of renewable energy. Ryan Hass reportedly stated that China is now the world’s second most resilient country against energy shocks after the United States.
The Washington Post added that Beijing is using the crisis to strengthen relations with countries such as Thailand, Australia, and Philippines through the provision of fuel supplies and green technologies, while the Trump administration has been less engaged in leading international responses to the energy crisis.
Assessment’s Overall Conclusion
The newspaper concluded that the war has allowed China to portray itself as a more stable international power, in contrast to an image of the United States as an aggressive unilateral actor engaged in costly and bloody wars in the Middle East. From Beijing’s perspective, the report suggests, this represents a significant political and strategic achievement within the broader global competition between the two major powers.
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