China, Russia, Iran and North Korea form a threat axis, report says

Key Points:

• A new book from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies highlights a de facto strategic alliance among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, which cooperate across military, economic, cyber, and technology domains despite lacking a formal mutual-defense treaty.
• The authors document over 600 instances of security cooperation from 2019 to 2025, warning that this bloc’s coordinated actions could force the U.S. to face multiple simultaneous crises, complicating American military and diplomatic responses.
• China plays a central economic role by providing critical support to Russia and Iran, including purchasing discounted energy exports and supplying advanced technology, while the group develops alternative payment systems to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
• Cyber operations and military assistance, such as North Korean ammunition for Russia and Iranian drones used in Ukraine, demonstrate the integrated threat posed by these countries, which have already resulted in casualties among U.S. forces.
• Experts urge the U.S. to strengthen alliances, enhance defense production, protect critical infrastructure, and enforce sanctions more aggressively to counter this multifaceted and coordinated challenge to American national security.