The risk of a broader global conflict is rising as China's indirect role in the Iran crisis comes into sharper focus, with new concerns emerging over weapons used against U.S. forces.
Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joined FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria" to discuss how Beijing's support for Iran could quickly escalate tensions with the United States.
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Chang pointed to reports that advanced weapons used by Iran may already be tied to China, raising the stakes for any future confrontation in the region.
"Those supersonic missiles that Iran fired at the Abraham Lincoln, our aircraft carrier, those were Chinese... It's clear that the Iranians have more of those Chinese missiles," Chang said.
He warned that any direct hit on U.S. military assets could immediately alter the relationship between Washington and Beijing.
"God forbid, if one of those missiles hit an American ship... our relationship with China changes overnight," Chang said.
The broader concern, he noted, is that China's involvement is not limited to isolated support, but spans multiple layers of assistance that stop just short of direct military engagement.
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"China's support for Iran is across the board... It's everything except for combat troops... We should consider China an enemy combatant," Chang said.
As tensions persist in the Strait of Hormuz, Chang suggested the current dynamic leaves the U.S. facing a growing challenge from a rival power benefiting from the conflict while avoiding direct accountability.