John Lee appears on Taiwan Talks to discuss how the Iran war is offering a real-time stress test for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Despite the United States's overwhelming military power, Iran has demonstrated how a weaker actor can impose costs, threaten distant bases, and exploit escalation dynamics.
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Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22, 2025. (Getty Images)