Fault Lines Episode 587: Satellites, Drones, and Deniability: China’s Hand in Iran

Today, Morgan, Les, Matt, and John examine China's deepening covert support for Iran, even as Beijing publicly positions itself as a neutral actor. Chinese satellite companies have entered business relationships with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and China is providing intelligence, drones, and missiles that directly enable Iranian-backed threats — while the United States has seized a ship delivering Chinese goods to Iran.What does China's satellite and intelligence support for the IRGC reveal about the true nature of Sino-Iranian ties? If China is so dependent on Iranian oil, why would it risk the destabilization a Strait of Hormuz closure would cause? How will Xi's domestic vulnerabilities — military purges, a weakening economy, and ambitions for a fourth term — shape his calculus heading into talks with Trump? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.@morganlroach@lestermunson@johnclipsey@wmatthaydenLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/LQIH5eIE_Cg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.