While Venezuela is a minor oil supplier to China, Iran is a substantial source of crude and heavy oil used for infrastructure projects like asphalt. A regime change in Iran could lead to the country selling its oil to the West instead of China, creating a significant economic and geopolitical destabilization for Beijing.

The recent conflicts in Iran and Venezuela can be framed as a covert economic war against China. Since China buys 90% of Iran's oil and relies on Venezuela's supply, US actions disrupting these nations directly target China's energy security and serve as a tool of economic containment.

The war is a symptom of a larger US strategy to prevent a Eurasian trading bloc (Russia, China, Iran) that would threaten its control over maritime trade and the dollar's reserve status.

Protests in Iran, if they disrupt the regime, could halt cheap oil flows to China. This would force China to buy from more expensive, US-friendly markets, strengthening the US dollar's global dominance and isolating anti-Western powers without direct US intervention.

The move against Iran is not just a regional conflict but part of a grand strategy to disrupt the China-Russia-Iran-North Korea axis. By attempting to cut off China's access to cheap oil from Iran and Venezuela, the goal is to weaken China’s economic rise, even at the risk of global instability.

The public threats of a military strike against Iran may be a high-stakes negotiating tactic, consistent with Trump's style of creating chaos before seeking a deal. The goal is likely not war, which would be politically damaging, but to force Iran into economic concessions or a new agreement on US terms.

The US is disrupting China's oil supply from Iran and Venezuela (which accounts for ~20% of its imports) to gain a stronger negotiating position ahead of major talks. This frames the conflict as a geopolitical chess move rather than just a regional issue.

U.S. foreign policy actions against Venezuela and Iran are not primarily about democracy but are strategic moves to disrupt the flow of cheap, sanctioned oil to China. By controlling these sources, the U.S. can directly attack a key adversary's economic and military engine.

China's extreme reliance on oil from Iran and Venezuela (20% of domestic consumption) makes it the party most hurt by the conflict. This gives the US leverage, pressuring Xi Jinping to negotiate a resolution to secure China's energy supply and stabilize its economy.