CHINA
12 April 2026
The China-Iran-Russia Axis
The emergence of the China–Iran–Russia axis over recent decades is one of the most consequential geopolitical developments of the twenty-first century.
Many have been surprised to learn that Russia has been providing significant military, intelligence, and cyber support to Iran in its war against the US and Israel. Moscow has been reportedly supplying satellite imagery for targeting U.S. bases, sharing enhanced drone technology, and facilitating cyberattacks on regional critical infrastructure.
For its part, China, Iran’s most important trading partner, has also been providing Iran with support. China also reportedly pushed Iran to accept a cease fire. Being highly dependent on imported energy and other commodities, China has every interest in seeing an end to the current hostilities.
But no-one should be surprised at Chinese and Russian support for Iran.
Indeed, China has been a critical economic and technological lifeline for Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, providing significant "dual-use" goods—items with both civilian and military applications—that fuel the Russian war machine. Chinese leader Xi Jinping China desires a Russian victory, or at least no-defeat, in Ukraine to sustain a crucial anti-Western partnership, keep the U.S. and NATO distracted, and secure a reliable partner for resources and Eurasian stability. For its part, Iran has provided important support for Russia by supplying drones.
These relationships need to be seen in the context of the emergence of the China–Iran–Russia axis over recent decades which Marc Evry regards as one of the most consequential geopolitical developments of the twenty-first century – as documented in his recent book, “Geopolitics of China-Iran-Russia Axis: New Order or Global Threat ?”.
Overall, the shared interests of China, Russia, and Iran are anchored in clear strategic axes—from opposing the Western unipolar order to economic diversification and military cooperation. This strategic rapprochement illustrates not only their common will to preserve sovereignty but also their shared ambition to reshape global power dynamics toward a more multipolar and balanced order.
While the Cold War era was defined by a bipolar rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, today’s global landscape is increasingly multipolar, with new centers of power challenging the established order. In a world marked by growing tensions and increased multipolarity, the China-Iran-Russia axis stands out as a major strategic player.
The convergence of interests between these three nations, all seeking autonomy from Western influence, reflects an unprecedented geopolitical repositioning. This axis is based on strengthened cooperation in key areas such as energy, defense, and technology, aiming to reshape international relations by bypassing Western-dominated structures.
Relations between China, Russia, and Iran are rooted in centuries of political, economic, and cultural interactions. More recently, convergence among these three nations has accelerated due to shared geopolitical dynamics. All three share a deep mistrust of the Western-dominated world order, viewed as an instrument of interference in their internal affairs. Russia’s aspirations to reassert itself as a great power, China’s economic and technological ambitions, and Iran’s strategic role as an energy pivot in the Middle East have converged around a common objective: countering U.S. influence.
This convergence manifests through collaborations in the military sector (joint exercises), energy (oil and gas partnerships), and diplomacy (mutual support on international stages). Sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union—against Iran for its nuclear program, Russia for the Ukrainian crisis, and China for technological and trade reasons—have drawn these three nations closer. Facing economic restrictions, they have sought alternatives by consolidating bilateral and trilateral partnerships. Economic initiatives China’s Belt and Road Initiative integrates Iran as a strategic node between Asia and Europe. Russia and Iran cooperate on energy projects, such as exporting natural gas through alternative corridors.
These three nations, though differing in political systems and priorities, have found a common cause: redefining the world order based on their strategic interests. These three powers pursue distinct but complementary ambitions: China, the global economic engine, seeks to secure its energy supplies, expand its influence via the Belt and Road Initiative, and position itself as a key actor in Asia and beyond.
Russia, striving to reaffirm its status as a great power, uses its energy resources, military capabilities, and diplomacy to counter NATO expansion and maintain regional influence. Iran, a strategic pivot in the Middle East, aims to break its diplomatic isolation, strengthen energy autonomy, and resist Western pressures, while extending its influence in the region. These relationships have been further strengthened by recent catalysts: the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Under mounting global pressure, Iran sought allies to break its isolation and support its economy. Here, the Sino–Russian–Iranian axis found fertile ground. Russia—facing its own post-Soviet tensions with the West—viewed Iran as a strategic partner, particularly in energy and military cooperation. China, historically more distant from Middle Eastern affairs, began building economic and trade links with Iran. Rich in natural resources, especially oil and gas, Iran became a valuable partner for both powers, offering opportunities to expand regional influence while sidestepping international sanctions.
The emergence of the Sino–Russian–Iranian axis can also be understood within the broader framework of resistance to U.S. hegemony. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has sought to maintain its dominance through diplomatic, military, and economic mechanisms, promoting a unipolar vision of world order.
This dominance, however, has been challenged by several powers—including Russia, China, and, to some extent, Iran. Russia, with its Soviet legacy, has consistently aimed to reassert influence over former Soviet republics and resist NATO expansion toward its borders. Events such as the 2008 war in Georgia and the 2014 annexation of Crimea highlight Moscow’s determination to counter U.S. influence in Eurasia.
For China, the need for economic diversification, access to Middle Eastern natural resources, and the ambition of the Belt and Road Initiative have encouraged deeper engagement with powers seen as adversaries of the West. Meanwhile, Iran—under continuous U.S. pressure—has increasingly valued partnerships with nations willing to defy the established order.
This convergence of interests in opposing the U.S.-dominated global system gave rise to alliances of convenience among China, Russia, and Iran. Although not founded on shared ideologies, these alliances have enabled the three countries to strengthen their positions vis-à-vis the West and push back against U.S. global dominance.
This marks a turning point in post–Cold War geopolitics, where former superpowers and emerging regional powers have chosen to cooperate in challenging the unipolar order.
In sum, the legacy of the Cold War and its aftermath have been crucial in shaping the formation of the Sino–Russian–Iranian axis. Past rivalries—such as the Sino–Soviet split—were overcome through pragmatic cooperation, while Western sanctions on Iran drove it toward these partners under the weight of international isolation.
For its part, China, Iran’s most important trading partner, has also been providing Iran with support. China also reportedly pushed Iran to accept a cease fire. Being highly dependent on imported energy and other commodities, China has every interest in seeing an end to the current hostilities.
But no-one should be surprised at Chinese and Russian support for Iran.
Indeed, China has been a critical economic and technological lifeline for Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, providing significant "dual-use" goods—items with both civilian and military applications—that fuel the Russian war machine. Chinese leader Xi Jinping China desires a Russian victory, or at least no-defeat, in Ukraine to sustain a crucial anti-Western partnership, keep the U.S. and NATO distracted, and secure a reliable partner for resources and Eurasian stability. For its part, Iran has provided important support for Russia by supplying drones.
These relationships need to be seen in the context of the emergence of the China–Iran–Russia axis over recent decades which Marc Evry regards as one of the most consequential geopolitical developments of the twenty-first century – as documented in his recent book, “Geopolitics of China-Iran-Russia Axis: New Order or Global Threat ?”.
Overall, the shared interests of China, Russia, and Iran are anchored in clear strategic axes—from opposing the Western unipolar order to economic diversification and military cooperation. This strategic rapprochement illustrates not only their common will to preserve sovereignty but also their shared ambition to reshape global power dynamics toward a more multipolar and balanced order.
While the Cold War era was defined by a bipolar rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, today’s global landscape is increasingly multipolar, with new centers of power challenging the established order. In a world marked by growing tensions and increased multipolarity, the China-Iran-Russia axis stands out as a major strategic player.
The convergence of interests between these three nations, all seeking autonomy from Western influence, reflects an unprecedented geopolitical repositioning. This axis is based on strengthened cooperation in key areas such as energy, defense, and technology, aiming to reshape international relations by bypassing Western-dominated structures.
Relations between China, Russia, and Iran are rooted in centuries of political, economic, and cultural interactions. More recently, convergence among these three nations has accelerated due to shared geopolitical dynamics. All three share a deep mistrust of the Western-dominated world order, viewed as an instrument of interference in their internal affairs. Russia’s aspirations to reassert itself as a great power, China’s economic and technological ambitions, and Iran’s strategic role as an energy pivot in the Middle East have converged around a common objective: countering U.S. influence.
This convergence manifests through collaborations in the military sector (joint exercises), energy (oil and gas partnerships), and diplomacy (mutual support on international stages). Sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union—against Iran for its nuclear program, Russia for the Ukrainian crisis, and China for technological and trade reasons—have drawn these three nations closer. Facing economic restrictions, they have sought alternatives by consolidating bilateral and trilateral partnerships. Economic initiatives China’s Belt and Road Initiative integrates Iran as a strategic node between Asia and Europe. Russia and Iran cooperate on energy projects, such as exporting natural gas through alternative corridors.
These three nations, though differing in political systems and priorities, have found a common cause: redefining the world order based on their strategic interests. These three powers pursue distinct but complementary ambitions: China, the global economic engine, seeks to secure its energy supplies, expand its influence via the Belt and Road Initiative, and position itself as a key actor in Asia and beyond.
Russia, striving to reaffirm its status as a great power, uses its energy resources, military capabilities, and diplomacy to counter NATO expansion and maintain regional influence. Iran, a strategic pivot in the Middle East, aims to break its diplomatic isolation, strengthen energy autonomy, and resist Western pressures, while extending its influence in the region. These relationships have been further strengthened by recent catalysts: the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Under mounting global pressure, Iran sought allies to break its isolation and support its economy. Here, the Sino–Russian–Iranian axis found fertile ground. Russia—facing its own post-Soviet tensions with the West—viewed Iran as a strategic partner, particularly in energy and military cooperation. China, historically more distant from Middle Eastern affairs, began building economic and trade links with Iran. Rich in natural resources, especially oil and gas, Iran became a valuable partner for both powers, offering opportunities to expand regional influence while sidestepping international sanctions.
The emergence of the Sino–Russian–Iranian axis can also be understood within the broader framework of resistance to U.S. hegemony. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has sought to maintain its dominance through diplomatic, military, and economic mechanisms, promoting a unipolar vision of world order.
This dominance, however, has been challenged by several powers—including Russia, China, and, to some extent, Iran. Russia, with its Soviet legacy, has consistently aimed to reassert influence over former Soviet republics and resist NATO expansion toward its borders. Events such as the 2008 war in Georgia and the 2014 annexation of Crimea highlight Moscow’s determination to counter U.S. influence in Eurasia.
For China, the need for economic diversification, access to Middle Eastern natural resources, and the ambition of the Belt and Road Initiative have encouraged deeper engagement with powers seen as adversaries of the West. Meanwhile, Iran—under continuous U.S. pressure—has increasingly valued partnerships with nations willing to defy the established order.
This convergence of interests in opposing the U.S.-dominated global system gave rise to alliances of convenience among China, Russia, and Iran. Although not founded on shared ideologies, these alliances have enabled the three countries to strengthen their positions vis-à-vis the West and push back against U.S. global dominance.
This marks a turning point in post–Cold War geopolitics, where former superpowers and emerging regional powers have chosen to cooperate in challenging the unipolar order.
In sum, the legacy of the Cold War and its aftermath have been crucial in shaping the formation of the Sino–Russian–Iranian axis. Past rivalries—such as the Sino–Soviet split—were overcome through pragmatic cooperation, while Western sanctions on Iran drove it toward these partners under the weight of international isolation.