The Military Balance with Iran: A Strategic Assessment

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu reviews China’s western hemisphere influence in the context of Cuba, and the importance of Cuba to China’s global strategy. Next, Miles discusses China’s potential role in the ongoing Strait of Hormuz standoff and the impact of shipping restrictions on the Chinese economy. Finally, Miles covers the Paris summit between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng, as a prelude to the Trump-Xi summit and the possibility of renewed trade talks between the two countries. China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.   

As the United States and Israel continue to strike Iran, the strategic landscape in the Middle East is shifting rapidly. In this conversation, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Can Kasapoğlu will discuss the evolving military situation in Iran and the wider region. Kasapoğlu will assess how Iranian forces are responding to the strikes, the role of the IRGC in a potential post-Khamenei order, and what indicators analysts should watch in the coming weeks. The discussion will also explore the sustainability of Iran’s missile and drone campaigns, the limits of air-defense systems, and the strategic choices facing the United States and its allies as the conflict unfolds. Join us for a timely military briefing on one of the most consequential crises shaping the future of the Middle East

The American industrial base once underwrote the nation's victory. Builders and workers rallied to win World War II. For most of the twentieth century, great American companies from General Mills to Chrysler had defense businesses that sent mankind into space and won the Cold War. But the forges fell silent, and the furnaces went dark. China took the lead in manufacturing. And the relationship between America’s innovators and its warfighters deteriorated—until now. Hudson Trustee and Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar’s new book, Mobilize, spotlights this undeclared state of emergency and the bold reformers in government and industry who are taking action to respond. With Walter Russell Mead, Sankar will discuss his strategy to resurrect the American industrial base, win the twenty-first-century defense technology race, and prevent World War III.

Naval and commercial shipbuilding, maintenance, and shipping are crucial to the national security and economic prosperity of the United States and Japan. Both countries have rich naval and commercial maritime traditions, but such legacies have faced challenges in recent years. In response, Washington and Tokyo have established initiatives to strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation. On March 10, Hudson Japan Chair will host a public discussion bringing together experts and practitioners to address US-Japan cooperation on these maritime issues. Experts will focus on how the two countries can strengthen their naval maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) activities; scale shipbuilding capacity; and address the needs of shipping companies and end-users. Join Hudson for a discussion highlighting each nation's approach to these common challenges, as well as how US-Japan collaboration should best proceed.

Supply chains have been central to the second Trump administration’s foreign and national security policy platforms. As global security deteriorates, policymakers need to act quickly to ensure American manufacturers can access materials that are vital for national defense and economic resilience. At the heart of this effort is the United States government’s drive, in collaboration with private industry, to develop domestic critical mineral supply chains. China’s near monopoly on critical mineral processing gives Beijing the ability to influence trade negotiations and exercise economic coercion. Through these unfair trade practices, China seeks to further weaken America’s vital industries and security interests. Join Distinguished Fellow Mike Gallagher and Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) for a discussion on the congressman’s recently introduced Securing Essential and Critical US Resources and Elements (SECURE Minerals) Actand Congress’s role in securing America’s economic security.

The end of Nicolás Maduro’s rule marked a historic turning point for Venezuela. But transitions do not secure themselves. Authoritarian systems often attempt to survive through controlled reform and partial concessions. Venezuela’s interim authorities have introduced initial measures, including an amnesty law and economic adjustments. Yet a genuine democratic transition requires structural guarantees: the full release of political prisoners, the dismantling of repression, the reopening of civic space, the safe return of political exiles, and the establishment of a new, independent electoral authority capable of organizing free and fair general elections. Please join Leopoldo López, who will outline the strategic roadmap for consolidating democratic change and explain why sustained clarity, leverage, and principled leadership from the United States remain essential to preventing backsliding and securing a stable, sovereign, and democratic Venezuela.

More than three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has sought to offset Western sanctions and isolation by deepening ties with China and expanding relationships with partners such as North Korea and Iran. Beijing, meanwhile, views cooperation with Russia as a strategic asset in its competition with the United States and its allies across Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Though the Sino-Russian partnership is asymmetric, increasingly coordinated military, energy, economic, and information cooperation is reshaping the security environment. Hudson will host an event featuring representatives from the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) and the Alliance Futures Initiative (TAFI) to assess the scope and implications of Sino-Russian cooperation across military and nonmilitary domains, examine shared and diverging threat perceptions, and discuss how these trends should inform national and collective defense planning. The discussion will also identify practical policy options for allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, including closer coordination between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Indo-Pacific security frameworks.

Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East will host Sir Liam Fox for a conversation on the evolving geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. Drawing on his experience as the United Kingdom’s secretary of state for defense and international trade and his leadership in advancing regional normalization efforts, Sir Liam will offer insights into the future of regional security, the strategic implications of the Abraham Accords, and the expanding diplomatic and economic ties between Morocco and Israel. The discussion will also explore how trade, diplomacy, and strategic cooperation can shape a more stable and integrated Middle East.

Africa’s most populous country unexpectedly found itself in President Donald Trump’s sights this past autumn. The president designated Nigeria a country of particular concern for alleged religious freedom violations and warned of possible United States military intervention to protect Nigerian Christians. But what appeared to be a tense diplomatic standoff quickly led to discussions of a new security partnership that has so far seen a US airstrike on jihadists and now the deployment of US military trainers to Nigeria. Will this security cooperation be the new normal for US-Nigeria relations, or will Trump escalate his diplomatic and economic pressure? If cooperation continues, what risks will US and Nigerian policymakers need to navigate? And will this partnership help ordinary Nigerians? Join Hudson for a panel discussion on these questions and more.

The alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States remains the cornerstone of transatlantic security. But regulatory and trade frictions, differing approaches to China, and divergent views on migration have strained this vital relationship. In his “Iron Curtain” address 80 years ago, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned of the threat that Soviet domination of Eastern Europe posed to the rest of the world. Today, the world’s free nations once again face a profound danger, this time from a coalescing authoritarian axis. The United Kingdom and United States need to stand firmly together to meet this joint challenge. UK Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs the Rt. Hon. Priti Patel, MP, will join Hudson for a speech and conversation on the future of the special relationship and what the adoption of a Conservative foreign policy would mean for Britain and the transatlantic alliance.