Is Iran Next After Protest Deaths? Is Trump Targeting China Allies a la Sun Tzu?
Iran’s authoritarian regime has been shaken by more than a week of growing protests, which were initially sparked by soaring inflation amid crippling US sanctions. The demonstrations have spread across most of the country, with some calling for the “resignation of the dictator.” So far, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has remained defiant, at least in public. But following the capture of Venezuela’s president by US special forces, US President Donald Trump has warned: “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.” Should Tehran be worried about a potential US intervention? What would a regime change mean for Beijing and Moscow? And does the ancient Chinese text, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, hold any relevant lessons for US great power strategy? In this episode, we discuss the Iran protests, Trump’s foreign policy, Tehran’s military and nuclear capabilities, Iran’s importance to China and Russia, and the US-China relationship. *Recorded on January 7, 2026 at 3pm Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Our guests: Michael Chen - Democratic Progressive Party International Affairs Director Chenlung Kuo - United Daily News Deputy Editor-in-Chief Eric Chiou - National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Center of Human Sciences Associate Professor
