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The U.S. Doesn’t Seem Sure of What to Make of the China-Brokered Deal

by Eric Olander
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre looks on as National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

Publicly, the White House says it supports anything that “de-escalates tensions” in the Mideast. Privately, there’s probably a lot more teeth-gnashing going on in the corridors of the National Security Council (NSC.) This is because the deal gives China a huge diplomatic win while also bolstering Washington’s rivals in Tehran.

The White House provided only a brief comment on the story late Friday when NSC Spokesperson John Kirby held a media briefing. That sparked a burst of coverage the following day, but by Sunday the story had been overshadowed by the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

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