EDITORIAL: Iran to take US focus from TaiwanAfter “Operation Absolute Resolve” to capture former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, the US joined Israel on Saturday last week in launching “Operation Epic Fury” to remove Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his theocratic regime leadership team. The two blitzes are widely believed to be a prelude to US President Donald Trump changing the geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific region, targeting China’s rise. If the US and Israel’s highly-intense joint operations could successfully suppress Iran, many pundits believe the US would redirect its primary strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific region and inflict structural pressure on Beijing. However, there are also concerns that if the Middle East conflict cannot be brought to a quick end, a war of attrition would restrain the US’ ability to deter China in the Taiwan Strait. US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby on Tuesday said that reports of dwindling US munitions stockpiles following strikes on Iran should not be misinterpreted as weakening deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.
