President-elect Donald J. Trump has made big promises on Ukraine, Iran, China and crises around the globe. But he will have to make difficult choices.

China has been strengthening its ties to Iran in recent years, and that has included support to Iran's regional proxies—notably the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It is part of a burgeoning partnership or even a de facto alliance between Tehran and China.

Iran is pushing to recoup 25 million barrels of oil from China that has been stuck for six years in Chinese ports due to sanctions imposed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump, three Iranian and one Chinese source familiar with the matter said.

As the threat of "snapback" sanctions looms over Iran, Tehran is seeking to leverage its strategic relationship with China to counter Western pressure.

The loose arrangement of hostile powers could pose a series of conundrums for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state.

On Chinese social media, some want Iran to go nuclear – but others think it should learn from China’s “reform and opening.”

During the Senate confirmation hearings, Bessent called China an 'unbalanced economy,' and described the nation as being in a 'severe recession'

Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed that the United States is in a "stronger, more secure position" than four years ago under President Trump.

Russia is poised to sign a “comprehensive strategy partnership” with Iran in a further strengthening of an authoritarian axis of evil.

At home, the Biden administration’s policies have coincided with a surge in antisemitism across the United States. In 2023, the Anti-Defamation League recorded over 3,900 antisemitic incidents.

The killings come as Iran faces economic turmoil, the mauling of its Middle East allies by Israel and the return of Donald Trump.