Besides which, I doubt China has sufficient influence over Iran to restrain them, considering the US "ahem removed" the all the people that could plausibly cons

Besides which, I doubt China has sufficient influence over Iran to restrain them, considering the US "ahem removed" the all the people that could plausibly considered moderates. I wonder how reasonable China would feel if the US really went ahead and "ahem removed" a thousand of the top political leadership. My bet, well, it's certainly possible they are correct on the "wouldn't be able to continue their population repression" bit... considering we'll all be too busy dying of nuclear winter. Imagine things happening other way around and China deciding to "ahem remove", not even a thousand, maybe a dozen people from the US government. Odds on that not ending in a nuclear exchange, anyone? I would take that bet at basically any odds, only I probably wouldn't be alive to spend it if I won.