New AFPI Report: Iran Was China’s “Counter-Pivot” — And Operation Epic Fury Just Dismantled It

Washington, D.C. — The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today released a new report contending that China spent two decades using Iran as a tool to keep the United States distracted from the Pacific — and that Operation Epic Fury has now broken that architecture, handing Washington a lasting strategic advantage over Beijing.

The report, "Iran as China's 'Counter-Pivot': The Strategic Implications of Operation Epic Fury for America's Competition with China," was authored by Piero A. Tozzi, Senior Director for China Policy at AFPI, and Adam Savit, Director for China Policy at AFPI.

It finds that discounted Iranian oil, dual-use tech transfers, and tacit support for Tehran's proxy network let China extract outsized strategic value at minimal cost — and that Epic Fury has disrupted that model, with Beijing now having failed to defend two partners, Venezuela and Iran, in two months.

"Operation Epic Fury broke the tool Beijing relied on for twenty years," said Tozzi. "China couldn't protect Iran, just like it couldn't protect Venezuela. That's a strategic opening for the United States, allowing us to finally pivot to Asia."

The report urges the U.S. to consolidate allies' shift toward U.S. LNG, press its informational advantage against CCP and PLA leadership, and accelerate domestic critical minerals production.

Tozzi will lead a related discussion on Tuesday, June 23, at AFPI's fireside chat with Frederick H. Fleitz, "Confronting the North Korean Nuclear Threat & Stability in the Indo-Pacific," featuring Fleitz's newest book, North Korea, Nuclear Brinkmanship, and the Oval Office. Interested members of the press can register here.

The full report is available here.