When foreign policy analysts discuss the Middle East, a familiar argument often emerges to shut down talk of meaningful change: Even if the current regime is terrible, there is no organized alternative to take its place. Push too hard, and you get a dangerous vacuum.

It is an argument rooted in a paralyzing fear of the unknown, and it has long served as a policy brake for Western capitals. But a recent, provocative piece by geopolitical analyst Zineb Riboua titled “The Iran Question Is All About China” flips this framing on its head. Riboua argues that Iran is not just a localized problem for the Middle East; it is a structural asset meticulously propped up by Beijing. By keeping the Iranian regime afloat through discounted oil purchases and surveillance technology, China creates a permanent strategic distraction for the United States, tying down Western resources while advancing its own ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.

When you view authoritarian regimes through this lens—not as isolated tragedies, but as strategic pawns sustained by larger powers to create “controlled chaos”—the implications stretch far beyond the Persian Gulf. For the United States, the European Union, ASEAN, Australia, Japan, and India, this framework provides an urgent, clarifying lesson for another escalating crisis: Myanmar.

Like Iran, Myanmar occupies vital strategic........

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