As Iran war stokes water security fears, Central Asia could turn to China

AI Summary

Amid the US-Israel war on Iran, Central Asia is increasingly turning to China for water security as geopolitical tensions reshape the region's strategic alliances. Beijing's influence grows while global supply chains and critical commodity reserves face severe disruptions.

Central Asia is tilting more decisively towards China as geopolitical uncertainty deepens, with Beijing’s expanding influence recasting the former Soviet states’ strategic orientation. In the first of a three-part series, Laura Zhou looks at how vulnerabilities laid bare by the Iran war might make the region look to China for water security. The US-Israel war on Iran has crippled global supply chains, choking off the world’s energy supply alongside reserves of critical commodities like...