Various specialists think so. “The unprecedented long-range bombing strike by the U.S. on Iran’s nuclear plants, including sending decoy B-2 bombers to Guam, had the secondary impact of bolstering deterrence against a Chinese attack on Taiwan, China affairs analysts say” (The Washington Times, June 24, 2025).
A warning
The recent operation against Iranian nuclear facilities “served as stern warning to the CCP as to what the American military is capable of, especially our ability to outsmart, out-plan, out-coordinate and overpower any adversary in a long-distance global conflict, whether it’s half a world away in Tehran or over the Taiwan Strait,” says Miles Yu, who teaches Chinese military history at the Naval Academy and has been a policy planner on China for the State Department.
Sounds great. Outsmart, out-plan, overpower any adversary, even half a world away.
“The attack on Iran’s three main nuclear sites was the largest operational strike ever by B-2 stealth bombers, and the second-longest B-2 operation ever flown, surpassed only by those following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States by al Qaeda,” Reuters reported. “From the U.S. military’s perspective, the operation was a resounding tactical success. The Iranians were unable to get off a single round at the American aircraft and were caught completely flat-footed.”
On the other hand, “Military sources said both the use of GBU-57s and Tomahawks reduced important weapons stocks potentially needed for a future China conflict,” according to the Washington Times report. But the pluses outweigh the minuses.
China is known to have extensive underground facilities hardened against attack, including the buried Central Military Commission command center located west of Beijing.
The bombing raid on Iran with the new GBU-57s signaled China’s military that its underground facilities are vulnerable to U.S. strikes.
Overall, despite the depletion of weapons, analysts say a threat linked to China has been substantially weakened and embarrassed with both China and Russia failing to defend Tehran.
The deterrence value of displays of military competence seems indisputable. But Iran as military opponent may not be on a par with China as military opponent.
