U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
"Beijing would likely respond with familiar condemnations and calls for restraint, but the deeper takeaway would be uncomfortable: China’s partnerships offer little protection when the United States decides to act," Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in a statement Wednesday. "Venezuela made that clear regionally; Iran would underscore it globally. Chinese officials will brand Washington reckless or rogue, but privately this episode would validate long-standing Chinese views about how power is actually exercised and that the U.S. is the only country willing and able to project force across multiple theaters on short notice."
"Two complex military operations in two regions just two weeks apart would reinforce a core assessment inside China’s system: America’s military might remains unmatched, and Washington is willing to use it when it judges the risks manageable," Singleton said. "That combination commands professional respect even as it sharpens Chinese unease."
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ defense and security department, voiced similar sentiments and said that countries like Iran and Venezuela who’ve cozied up to Russia and Beijing are likely realizing the pitfalls of those ties.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen as Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, in Washington, D.C., Oct. 9, 2025. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Meanwhile, Trump is still weighing whether he’ll conduct strikes on Iran again. The president told reporters Jan. 11 on Air Force One that the administration was "looking at some very strong options," and Tuesday said that all meetings with the Iranian regime were scrapped until "the senseless killing of protesters STOPS," and said that those who’ve killed anti-regime demonstrators will face consequences.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters that even though "killing in Iran is stopping," he wouldn’t rule out military action and that the U.S. would "watch and see" what happens. Meanwhile, Trump said Friday that he had held off on strikes for now because Iran had canceled executions for more than 800 people.
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Protests broke out across Iran in December 2025 in response to economic hardships facing the country, as well as a referendum against Iran’s theocratic regime.
More than 2,000 people — including at least nine children — have died in the recent protests, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday.
Trump authorized several major military operations in recent months, on top of the strikes in Venezuela. For example, he also signed off on strikes in Nigeria and Syria in December targeting those affiliated with the Islamic State.
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This also wouldn’t be the first time Trump has conducted strikes against Iran — should he choose to go through with them. In June, signed off on strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear sites Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/iran-strikes-could-signal-limits-beijing-moscows-power-us-flexes-strength