The shrinking of ambitions away from the Indian Ocean, as reflected in the reversion to the ‘Pacific Command’, suggests that the [U.S] is ceding the continent, including West Asia, to China.
President Trump’s messy handling of the Iran conflict has helped birth an axis that brings nuclear capability, serious money, and growing international clout together.
The challenge for Washington is no longer whether it possesses sufficient capabilities, but whether the political system can align those capabilities behind a coherent long-term priority.