On Wednesday, the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran loomed large over Donald Trump's trip to China. Signs emerged that the conflict was shifting alliances accross the Middle East.

Trump arrived in Beijing Wednesday, ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Analysts say that he will not get the support from China he seeks to end the unpopular and costly conflict he started in late February.

On Wednesday, new reports highlighted the fact that the Iran War is driving geopolitical realignment in the region.

Israel has revealed that Netanyahu secretly visited the UAE in march for talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Israel claims this resulted in a "historic breakthrough" between Israel and the UAE. As part of the Abraham Accords, which was backed by Trump, the two countries reestablished ties between them in?2020. However, the relationship has grown stronger since the UAE was attacked by Iran.

Separately, it was reported that Saudi fighter planes bombed Iran backed militias. This is part of a larger pattern of military response by Gulf nations in the war, which has remained secret. Sources said that Kuwait also launched retaliatory attacks into Iraq. Tehran has also tightened its grip over the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, it controlled one-fifth of world oil supplies. It has cut deals with Iraq and Pakistan for the shipping of oil and liquefied gas out of the region.

Iranian officials have "indicated" that they view control of the waterway as a strategic long-term goal. A spokesperson for the army said that supervision of this waterway would generate revenues equal to twice Iran's income from oil, and thereby?increase its foreign policy influence.

According to the ISNA news agency, a spokesperson stated that "after this war ends there will be no retreat."

After more than a month of a tenuous truce, the U.S. demands and Iranian ones to end the conflict are still far apart. Washington wants Tehran to abandon its nuclear program and release its grip on the Strait. Iran, on the other hand, demands compensation for any war damages, the end of the U.S. ban, and an end to all fighting, including the conflict in Lebanon where Israel fights Iran-backed Hezbollah. Trump has called those positions "garbage."

CHINESE SUPERTANKER CRUISES STRAIT Conflict is having a heavy impact on the global energy markets. The International Energy Agency announced on Wednesday that global oil supply would fall by 3.9 million barrels a day in 2026, and will undershoot the demand as a result of disruptions caused due to the Iran War. More than 1 billion barrels from Middle East supplies have already been lost.

In an attempt to portray a 'consensus' on this issue before the summit, the Trump administration announced on Tuesday that senior U.S. officials and?Chinese officials agreed last month that there should be no tolls charged on traffic in the region. China, which is a major purchaser of Iranian oil and maintains close relations with Tehran, has not disputed this account. Ship-tracking data showed that a Chinese supertanker with 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil sailed through Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. This was the third time a Chinese tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since U.S.

Sources said that other countries are looking at shipping agreements similar to those struck by Tehran with Iraq and Pakistan. This could cement Tehran's control over the waterway where fertilisers, bulk commodities, and petrochemicals normally pass.

ISRAEL CONTINUES STRIKE LEBANON

Iran demanded that Lebanon provide security guarantees as part of its proposal for ending the war. Israel, however, has continued to attack Hezbollah despite last month's ceasefire, which was mediated by the U.S. According to the Lebanon's Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday killed 12 people including two children.

Security sources confirmed that some of the attacks targeted vehicles on the coastal highway south-west of Beirut and beyond the main theatres of conflict in southern Lebanon.

(source: Reuters)