Defense experts indicate that Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are increasingly acting as a united strategic bloc opposing the United States and its NATO partners, each offering reciprocal assistance across various ongoing conflicts. North Korea supplies ammunition to Russia, while Iran contributes drone technology. China facilitates economic support that circumvents U.S. sanctions. Iran shares combat experiences from its operations in the Strait of Hormuz. With New START's expiration resulting in the dissolution of all arms control agreements between the U.S. and Russia, and NATO confronting challenges on three separate fronts — Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Taiwan Strait — experts caution that the global security framework is more precarious than it has been since 1962.
