Iran, the number one anti-American country, does not yield to Europe and the United States. Does it matter to China?
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and some Western countries against Russia have been jaw-dropping. There is the example of the United States and Western countries, and the imitation of Iran, an Islamic country in the Middle East.
In November 2022, Iran officially announced that it had imposed sanctions on a number of U.S. groups and individuals for its gross involvement in Iran's internal affairs and incitement of violence and terrorism in Iran.
In the sanctions list announced by Iran, the US military and intelligence personnel in the Middle East are prominently listed, which is a clear manifestation of Iran's "hard-hitting" attitude towards the United States, and has also made Iran recognized as the "number one anti-US power" in the Middle East.
Why did Iran, once one of the "two pillars" of the United States in the Middle East, embark on the path of confrontation with the United States? Actually, this is largely caused by the Americans themselves.
Iran's oil reserves are second only to Saudi Arabia and second in the Middle East, making it difficult for the United States to ignore Iran. However, before the 70s of the last century, relations between Iran and the United States were very friendly, and the Iranian revolution of 1979 became a turning point in relations between the two countries.
So, what positive impact does this confrontation between Iran and the United States have on China?
Originally, Iran was ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty, a regime of the same nature as the Saudi royal family, and the United States strongly supported it, not only gaining access to oil resources, but also establishing a pillar of stability for itself in the Middle East.
However, Iran has a natural advantage in industrial development, and after forming an alliance with the United States, its economy has taken off rapidly, and its national strength has grown day by day, becoming the most developed country in the Middle East.
It stands to reason that the United States should be pleased with the development of its ally Iran, but in reality it is not. The developed Iran has its own ideas, which has broken the United States' idea of hoping that the countries in the Middle East will be opposed to each other, so the United States has begun to support other countries in the Middle East, hoping to achieve the goal of no power in the Middle East by restraining Iran.
The Iranian Revolution led to a change in relations between Iran and the United States, and Pahlavi** was overthrown and replaced by Ayatollah Khomeini**. This new ** turns to a "Islam-only" policy and points the finger at the United States.
In November 1979, Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy and detained more than 60 embassy personnel, triggering the "Iran hostage crisis." In response, the United States Carter took a series of retaliatory measures, including stopping the supply of military equipment, stopping the purchase of Iranian oil, and freezing Iranian assets in the United States.
Although the crisis was resolved through negotiations, tensions between the United States and Iran remained, the real low point was yet to come. In the ensuing "Iran-Iraq War", the actions of the United States pushed the US-Iran relationship to a freezing point.
Iran-Iraq war"The trigger was Iraq's provocation, which quickly gained the upper hand in the early stages of the war, forced Iran to retreat, and annexed large swaths of territory.
The United States behaved during this period"Neutral"However, when the war entered the later stages and Iran began to fight back, the true face of the United States was exposed, and they began to favor Iraq, not only providing intelligence to Iraq, but also constantly providing them with conventional ** and chemical ** to help Iraq re-enter Iranian territory.
However, Iran, by buying ** from third world countries, ended up holding on to its territory and expelling the Iraqis from their land. "Iran-Iraq war"Later, Clinton naively believed that with the capabilities of the United States at that time, it was possible to suppress Iran and Iraq at the same time.
During the Gulf War, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran. Through war and sanctions, the Americans have pushed Iran against themselves, making Iran, which was their pillar in the Middle East, their enemy of life and death.
However, in the 90s of the last century, Iran had the opportunity to ease relations with the United States, when Rafsanjani and Khatami were more moderate towards the United States.
This is because the collapse of the former Soviet Union has deprived Iran of a backer, and they hope to ease relations with the United States and create a favorable international environment for their own development.
However, in order to safeguard its own interests in the Middle East, the United States does not want to see Iran get a chance to develop.
In the face of Iran's overtures, the United States has chosen to ease relations by stepping up strategic pressure on Iran. As a result of this behavior by the United States, Iran's moderates have lost their influence at home, and hardliners have become the dominant force in Iranian politics.
Even Rouhani, a moderate who once advocated détente with the United States, was defeated by the tougher Lacey because he was not tough enough. For the United States, which has always adhered to regional hegemony, this way of dealing with Iran is not unusual.
Only by controlling the oil industry in the Middle East can US economic hegemony in the world be achieved. What the United States needs is a leading Arab world, but post-revolutionary Iran often aims to revitalize the Arab world, which is obviously not in line with the strategic purpose of the United States in the Middle East.
Iran was once a neighbor of the former Soviet Union, and the two countries have had in-depth cooperation on nuclear weapons in the past. However, after the fall of Pahlavi**, the attitude of the United States changed abruptly, openly opposing Iran's nuclear research and uniting with the European Union.
In addition to the Iranian nuclear crisis caused by the nuclear issue, there have been many conflicts between the United States and Iran, including the American frigate that was almost sunk by Iranian mines during the Iran-Iraq war, and the Iranian oil platform destroyed by the US military during Operation Praying Mantis.
What is even more shocking is that an Iranian passenger plane with 249 people on board was shot down because it was mistaken for a fighter by the US military, and all the passengers did not survive.
Iran's mistake in an international incident has aroused strong antipathy among the people towards the United States, and anti-American demonstrations have occurred one after another. Even if Iran** wants to ease the contradictions with the United States, it needs to take into account the will of the people.
Therefore, Iran today will not easily turn to Europe and the United States, but will choose to develop strategic partnerships with China and Russia. Iran was able to confront the United States because of the support of the former Soviet Union.
And now, Iran needs to find new allies to counter the United States, so it has set its sights on China and Russia. However, Russia is too busy to provide Iran with sufficient support, so friendly relations with China have become the key to Iran's ability to gain a firm foothold in the international arena.
There are no territorial disputes between China and Iran, and since China is rapidly emerging and needs oil resources, Iran is a major oil producer, making China an ideal ally for Iran.
For China and Iran, the signing of the ** agreement is a mutually beneficial and win-win decision. Iran's oil exports need a stable market, and the U.S. sanctions policy has limited Iran's oil exports.
In this case, China, as the largest market in the world, is able to help Iran stabilize oil exports and generate revenues. According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Noumchin in a January 2020 interview, 95% of Iran's oil revenues** have been cut off by the United States, and China has become Iran's largest oil importer and its imports continue to grow.
Therefore, the Sino-Iranian agreement not only meets Iran's oil export needs, but also provides an important guarantee for China's energy products.
The strategic value of Iranian oil to China is irreplaceable China's industrialization process is inseparable from oil, and Iran is an important oil country. The severity of the energy crisis in Europe during the Russia-Ukraine war has demonstrated the importance of oil.
In addition, Iran and China do not share borders, there are no territorial disputes, and the Chinese culture is eclectic, making Iran an ideal energy partner for China. Iran's unique geographical location also facilitates China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Iran is located to the north of the Middle East, which must pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and its emphasis on defending the strait has constrained the United States in controlling the oil choke point of the world economy, while also providing security for the advancement of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
As long as the Strait of Hormuz does not fall into US hands, China's Gwadar port and Iran will be able to form a good complement and break the US layout in Central Asia.
China's relationship with Iran is not limited to economic cooperation, but also has far-reaching strategic significance. Iran's presence provides China with a strategic buffer that allows it to respond flexibly to U.S. policy changes.
At the same time, China's help is crucial to Iran's survival and development. To this end, China has signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement with Iran and Russia to ensure that they can get help from both countries in the event of a threat from Iran.
This cooperative relationship makes China a powerful tool for Iran to confront the United States and an important partner for China's peaceful development.