The US may be trying to hedge its bets on tensions with Russia by trying to downplay tensions with China and Iran.
Russia is a close partner China and Iran And both countries are also challenging America. China is raising tensions around Taiwan while Iran is threatening US forces in Syria and the Gulf.
For the US, this presents the possibility of a multi-front conflict, or indeed, a multi-front zone of tension where countries try to strike at US global hegemony in order to test US responses. The US cannot respond to everything, in fact as the story of China’s “spy balloons” shows, one crisis at a time is usually sufficient.
Therefore, recent reports suggest that the US may make a slight change in its stance. According to Axios, “Brett McGurk, senior Middle East adviser to President Biden, made a low-profile trip to Oman earlier this month for talks with Omani officials on possible diplomatic access regarding Iran’s nuclear program, According to five American, Israeli and European officials.
CIA director travels to China
CNN also reported last week that “CIA Director Bill Burns secretly traveled to China last month, a US official told CNN on Friday, amid efforts by the United States to reset ties with Beijing after a year of heightened tensions.
According to that report, Byrne, a US official, “met with Chinese counterparts and stressed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication across intelligence channels.”
A report in Al-Monitor over the weekend said that any US access to Iran could cause Israel no trouble.
,joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), or the Iran nuclear deal, is ‘not on the agenda’ according to the White House, but US-Iran diplomacy continues indirectly through trusted intermediaries nonetheless.
But the report says Israel is concerned about the potential for a US “backchannel”.
On the one hand, reports suggest that some sort of agreement could be in place. On the other hand, reports suggest that Iran is increasing the threat to US forces in Syria and tensions are rising in the Gulf. The US also appears concerned about Iran’s claims of seeking a naval partnership with the Gulf countries.
A report last week said that the UAE had left the US-led CMF, a 34-nation maritime alliance. Meanwhile, any US initiative with China also faces obstacles. AP says China defends buzzing US warship and FT says US warned China against its behaviour. If there is no progress in military talks or de-escalation, how can the US work with Beijing?
Maybe the source of the stress is too big and too much water has flown under the bridge. However, on the other side of the coin, the US should make these efforts because the prospect of facing new Iranian threats in Syria and conflicts elsewhere in Asia, as well as the need to finance the war in Ukraine, could weigh heavily on the US. That’s why countries like Israel and other allies of America are also keeping a close watch on it.
US messaging on all these matters does not always clearly indicate what US policy really is. As US elections approach next year, Washington’s leeway for maneuver may shrink further. This is important in terms of next steps regarding Iran and China and how it could affect the Middle East.