Krystal

We can't defeat this, you know, middle income at best regional power of Iran and we're going to go up against China for Taiwan?

No.

No.

We're not gonna do that.

I mean, we can say whatever we want, maintain ambiguity, blah, blah, blah.

The reality is clear to everyone.

It's certainly clear to the Chinese.

And this decision to pause the weapons sale is also, you know, this is a direct result

of this meeting and of this trip to China that Trump just went on.

Just to recall how this all went down, the public statements from Trump were completely sycophantic towards Xi, very praiseful, worshipful.

Xi was much of,

sort of more hard line and clear cut about, hey, we are going to try to avoid the Thucydides trap, which means we don't want, as you are a declining empire, we don't want to go to war with you.

And they expressed upset over this weapon sale

And lo and behold, we said, OK, like we'll do what you want because we are not in a position to do otherwise at this point.

That's the reality.

And, you know, this this has been made manifest by the Iran war.

Now it is undeniable, as Sagar is pointing out, whatever sort of imaginary deterrent there was previously is now wiped clean.

So when China says, hey.

I don't really like the fact that you're doing this $14 billion weapons sale right now.

Guess what?