Iran war diverts US military and attention from Asia ahead of Trump's summit with China's leader

NewsWorldAmericasIran war diverts US military and attention from Asia ahead of Trump's summit with China's leaderPresident Barack Obama in 2011 declared it was time to leave behind the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and “pivot” to Asia to counter China's riseDidi Tang Sunday 12 April 2026 05:02 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"44891d1bdf2c6b47acc766a8faf69ec6","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-asia-china-middle-east-taiwan-b2955989.html","title":"Iran war diverts US military and attention from Asia ahead of Trump's summit with China's leader"}}Iran war diverts US military and attention from Asia ahead of Trump's summit with China's leaderShow all 4{"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","className":"","title":"Iran war diverts US military and attention from Asia ahead of Trump's summit with China's leader","gallery":[{"data":{"title":"Iran US Asia","description":"FILE - In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducts routine underway operations while transiting through the Taiwan Strait, May 8, 2024. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd class Ismael Martinez/U.S. Navy via AP, File)","caption":"Iran US Asia","copyright":"U.S. Navy","credit":"ASSOCIATED PRESS","alt":null,"url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/04/12/05/Iran_US_Asia_275_6.jpg","id":"fec8c5d352c74d05a0192f65b044bbf8","mid":6612807,"uid":0,"smartframe":null,"extra":{"imageSize":{"width":3000,"height":1999}}},"type":"image"},{"data":{"title":"Iran US Asia","description":"FILE - President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP...