The New Dark Age

Thursday, 23 April 2026 — The New Atlas

• The US blockade on Iran – while falling short of completely cutting Iran off economically – has managed to reduce the amount of energy exports to China;

• This is part of a larger trend of reduced regional energy production and thus exports to China from across the entire Middle East;

• The US war on Iran is just one of several the US is waging directly or by proxy around the globe aimed at China’s energy import partners in an attempt to isolate and undermine China’s continued rapid rise;

• China has prepared for decades to endure this blockade including through the creation of a 100 day strategic oil reserve and the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative;

• Only time will tell whether or not China and its allies confront the growing US blockade directly or work to simply survive it and emerge stronger regardless despite America’s destructive and destabilizing acts of aggression;