Defense & Geopolitics — 2026-03-18
China Calls Iran War Illegal, Says Iranian Regime Resilience Exceeds US-Israeli Expectations
Xinhua reports US intelligence now assesses the Iranian regime as stable, with war resilience exceeding pre-conflict estimates of rapid collapse. Beijing's MFA has repeatedly declared the strikes illegal under international law. China's framing positions Washington as the aggressor while Beijing quietly benefits from discounted Iranian crude diverted from sanctioned channels.