Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, wrote today (October 3) that “with oil flows resuming, the Iranian regime’s currency is plummeting sharply. The only way to end this confrontation is to maintain maximum pressure. Once the regime collapses, Iran will no longer pose a threat to Israel or our Gulf allies, and China and Russia will suffer consequential losses as well.”
Commentary: Haley’s deliberate linkage of Iran’s situation to China and Russia reflects the entrenched adversarial mindset within U.S. hawkish circles. In her framing, Beijing and Moscow serve as critical external supports enabling Iran to withstand American maximum pressure. She implies that Iran’s collapse would simultaneously erode China’s and Russia’s energy and geopolitical interests in the Middle East. This narrative serves two purposes: first, it constructs a storyline of a Sino-Russian-Iranian alignment against the United States, reframing sanctions on Iran as part of a broader strategy to contain multiple strategic rivals; second, it exerts pressure on the White House, suggesting that countering Iran requires not just focus on Tehran but also containment of China and Russia—aligning with Republican conservative political objectives. Haley’s analysis rests on a zero-sum conception of great power relations, attempting to leverage the Iran issue to simultaneously challenge both China and Russia. Such an approach risks further entangling regional dynamics and increasing instability.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877975944777802/
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