Iran really isn't some third tier power though.
And also, with the current political system in Pakistan, the views of regular people has limited influence in what the government and military does.
(Although yes, no matter how pro US some of the leaders might be, they will also be pro/positive China, due to various reasons, but most importantly, it is in their interest to be friendly and have a strong relation with China).
Pakistan is a stronger military power than Iran.
So Is Iran too aggressive now? I thought you were complaining about Iran being too chicken.
Is Iran too chicken or is Iran putting too much pressure on US? You gotta pick one not both.
Inflicting damage on US is a generally a good thing. I too am surprised how fast US pulled out. I can't really sell it as a win for US though. Yes, they get to put more troops in the Pacifics, but they also lose the access to the oil they were stealing. A more secure middle east is also beneficial to Chinese war effort by securing trade routes.
Besides, we can't conclude US will actually withdraw from Middle East. As long as Israel exists no US politician can refuse Israeli lobby. If Israel gets its ass kicked in Lebanon, US will need to enter one way or another.
It's in China's interest for America to be bogged down in a conflict in middle east. Iran being aggressive toward Chinese allies is bad.
Iran being aggressive toward China's adversaries is good.
So, what happened today is really a good thing if you are China. That was in China's interests.
It's not about more troops in middle east vs Pacifics. China gains when America is actively patrolling because those military hardwares get over used and then require early retirement and that typically leads to bad decisions of US military part like stopping F-22 production early or ordering additional super hornets to replace the beaten up hornets.
Think long and hard about how to tilt the perception of westpac conflict for the DC blob.
China does not want to get in a bad situation over the next 5 years due to variety of reasons. It's best for blobs to know that US is too overstretched for a conflict.
Your thoughts is security during wartimes, there's also security during peacetime too. Those 3 countries mentioned needs to be kept in case of war happening.
But for peacetime is Russia Iran and central asia. The west can create cross border terrorism can easily done without going to war or being seen as an aggressors. We can see how fast isis spread. China can definitely work with central Asia gov to fight but it will be costly.
It will be far easier and less costly to keep other influence out by keeping the wall (Iran and Russia) firm.
There is only one conflict we need to worry about. That's the westpac one. Terrorism is a distraction. The consequences of a westpac conflict is horrendous. So anything that results in China gaining greater advantage in that is good.
So having large US forces in middle east and over utilizing those hardware is always a good thing. If there is a long drawn out conflict, that's terrible for shiites, but great for China. If there is one thing history has shown us, getting into middle eastern conflict doesn't work out for America.
I would love to see Pakistan become a strong country that plays an important regional role and can actively support China against India and in case of war in the Pacific.
However, I can't respect a leadership and country which has been given so much and has so little to show for it. Respect has to be earned and Pakistan is, sadly, an incompetent and corrupt, nearly failed state.
Iran on the other hand is a country that chose to end its alliance with the west and has been punished for this for decades. Despite devastating war, crippling sanctions and sabotage and constant threats of bombing, Iran has built up a defence industry and has been building influence and power in the region through its proxies and its ability to supply them. Iran today is more powerful than it has been for hundreds of years and it's been using that power to fight America and Israel.
Without Iranian involvement, Iraq might have become a successful colonization project for the US, which would have been pretty disastrous for everyone opposed to western hegemony. Hezbollah wouldn't be able to threaten Israel. Syria without fighters from Hezbollah and Iran might have fallen, even with the support of the Russian air force. The houthis wouldn't be able to damage the European economy with what they're doing in the red sea.
Of course no country is perfect, but Iran has earned respect for what it has achieved. Pakistan is like a family member that was always nice to you when you were young but just can't succeed in their job so now you have to keep giving them money. I just feel a bit sorry for them but if the people want better government, they need to remove those that mismanage the country
you are completely overstating Iran's power and its leverage in Iraq. Were you around back in 2007 when America was deeply trapped in Iraq? If not, then don't pretend you understand why America got out of Iraq and why GWOT was the greatest gift given to China.
Pakistan right now is more important for China's security going forward than Iran could ever hope to be. If there was a war between Pakistan and Iran, Iran would get crushed. If there was a battle between PAF and RuAF, PAF would most likely win. So be very careful to dismiss the military power of Pakistan.
India has the world's 5th largest GDP. Pakistan by itself completely neutralizes India.
And you are here complaining about Pakistan having trouble paying back $60B in loan (I'm not sure what the exact amount is)
