China Helpless as Middle East War Craters Regional Leverage: Analysts

Iranian newspaper headlines pictured on display at a stall in Tehran on June 24, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

By Oliver Hotham

China has been able to do little more than stand back and watch as war between its key partner Iran and Israel harms its hard-fought leverage in the Middle East, analysts say.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Agence France-Presse

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
6
BYD Tops Southeast Asia EV Sales, Tesla Drops in Hong Kong

You Might Like

Tehran Looks at Beijing’s Position in the Israel-Hamas Conflict

In the early weeks of September, a window of opportunity emerged for a possible reversal in Iranian foreign policy. Ayatollah Khamenei indicated a willingness to explore the idea of a new nuclear deal with the United States, while ...

China Expresses ‘Deep Concern’ Over Iran Attack on Israel

Beijing expressed “deep concern” on Sunday over Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said. Iran on Saturday launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel in an ...

Chinese Perspectives on the Recent Iran-Israel Clash

By Adam Koi On April 1, 2024, an airstrike against the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, destroyed the building housing the Iranian consulate and killed sixteen people, including high-ranking officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary ...

Diminishing U.S. Influence? Chinese Official Positions and Expert Debate on the Israel-Iran Conflict

By Miriam Verzellino and Andrea Ghiselli On June 13, Israel launched a series of air and missile strikes against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, military installations, air defense systems, as well as prominent military leaders, politicians ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP