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The threat to the US is China feeling like they need to act. The loss of Persian gulf oil is an existential threat to the Chinese economy. This could end very,

The threat to the US is China feeling like they need to act. The loss of Persian gulf oil is an existential threat to the Chinese economy. This could end very, very bad.

01100011 8mo ago
Nah. So far we haven't hit Iran's oil export infrastructure. If China makes a serious move we blow it up. We can also close the straight ourselves and claim it's for protection.
- klooney 8mo ago
  https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-evening-special-report-march-7-2026/ https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-updat... They've started bombing the oil in infrastructure
  - 01100011 8mo ago
    I ain't reading all that, but if you're referring to the strike on the oil storage facility in Tehran, AFAICT that's not for export. It's local consumption. We haven't, to my knowledge, hit oil exports yet.
    - disgruntledphd2 8mo ago
      Fair enough, but if the local supplies are disrupted, export oil will be repurposed for local supply, to avoid issues with the regime.
      - 01100011 8mo ago
        I don't think oil works like that. Infra takes a long time to reroute, especially in war time. Exports are nearly all of Iran's economy. They can't turn it off or they starve.
dylan604 8mo ago
Why isn't China acting. Putin showed the world is not going to do anything when an aggressor invades. Trump is doing it now. Nobody stopped Israel. What is China waiting for?
- idiotsecant 8mo ago
  I think they will act if this stretches into a lengthy engagement. They want to see the US solidly committed.
- thisislife2 8mo ago
  They are helping Iran militarily and diplomatically. The last attack on Iran ended in 12 days. The Americans or Israelis haven't send any boots as a proper invasion requires. So they are just waiting and watching.
- Animats 8mo ago
  China is starting to act.[1][2] There's a summit with Xi and Trump coming up. China is pushing for a cease fire with Iran. China has also stopped aggressive flights over Taiwan airspace for the last week, for whatever reason. Diplomats on the China side are worried about the Trump administrations's amateurish approach to diplomacy. "... Trump’s reluctance to delegate, disdain for process and focus on quick wins, banking instead on personal magnetism and his “gut” as summit organising principles. ... “You have a handful of people who have never done this before, putting together what may be the most consequential trip in the president’s administration on a wing and a prayer. The Chinese are beyond worried. They’re apoplectic.” - South China Morning Post. [1] https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/07/china/china-us-iran-wang-yi-intl-hnk https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/07/china/china-us-iran-wang-yi-i... [2] https://www.scmp.com/topics/2026-trump-xi-summit https://www.scmp.com/topics/2026-trump-xi-summit [3] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-sum... [4] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-sum...

The threat to the US is China feeling like they need to act. The loss of Persian gulf oil is an existential threat to the Chinese economy. This could end very, very bad.

01100011 8mo ago

Nah. So far we haven't hit Iran's oil export infrastructure. If China makes a serious move we blow it up. We can also close the straight ourselves and claim it's for protection.

klooney 8mo ago
https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-evening-special-report-march-7-2026/ https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-updat... They've started bombing the oil in infrastructure
- 01100011 8mo ago
  I ain't reading all that, but if you're referring to the strike on the oil storage facility in Tehran, AFAICT that's not for export. It's local consumption. We haven't, to my knowledge, hit oil exports yet.
  - disgruntledphd2 8mo ago
    Fair enough, but if the local supplies are disrupted, export oil will be repurposed for local supply, to avoid issues with the regime.
    - 01100011 8mo ago
      I don't think oil works like that. Infra takes a long time to reroute, especially in war time. Exports are nearly all of Iran's economy. They can't turn it off or they starve.

dylan604 8mo ago

Why isn't China acting. Putin showed the world is not going to do anything when an aggressor invades. Trump is doing it now. Nobody stopped Israel. What is China waiting for?

idiotsecant 8mo ago
I think they will act if this stretches into a lengthy engagement. They want to see the US solidly committed.
thisislife2 8mo ago
They are helping Iran militarily and diplomatically. The last attack on Iran ended in 12 days. The Americans or Israelis haven't send any boots as a proper invasion requires. So they are just waiting and watching.
Animats 8mo ago
China is starting to act.[1][2] There's a summit with Xi and Trump coming up. China is pushing for a cease fire with Iran. China has also stopped aggressive flights over Taiwan airspace for the last week, for whatever reason. Diplomats on the China side are worried about the Trump administrations's amateurish approach to diplomacy. "... Trump’s reluctance to delegate, disdain for process and focus on quick wins, banking instead on personal magnetism and his “gut” as summit organising principles. ... “You have a handful of people who have never done this before, putting together what may be the most consequential trip in the president’s administration on a wing and a prayer. The Chinese are beyond worried. They’re apoplectic.” - South China Morning Post. [1] https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/07/china/china-us-iran-wang-yi-intl-hnk https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/07/china/china-us-iran-wang-yi-i... [2] https://www.scmp.com/topics/2026-trump-xi-summit https://www.scmp.com/topics/2026-trump-xi-summit [3] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-sum... [4] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-summit-preparations-falter-planning-gaps-unsettle-beijing https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344769/trump-xi-sum...