Israel, Iran, and China Put to the Test

China failed to identify that an important portion of its credit lines to Iran went toward financing fighters in Gaza and Lebanon. Why would China care about Iranian funding of Hamas and Hezbollah? Well, it's no secret that China seeks to establish a peaceful relationship with as many countries as possible, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Lebanon, among others. In a recent notable effort, China helped promote a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Second, while Iran celebrates the attack and Israel unleashes its built-up hatred toward Hamas, annihilating it in the process, it is up to China to act as a pacifying force in relation to Iran. In a classic Cold War scenario, the chess pieces between Iran and China will need to navigate a dangerous landscape. An Israeli attack on Iran could trigger a widespread war in the region, and China is the only country with direct access to Tehran and a legitimate ability to influence the country's decisions. If China chooses not to act - which is always possible as Xi Jinping finds himself in the middle of a new witch hunt against high-ranking military personnel - it will become clear that China knows how to play a game in times of peace, but not in times of war.