Very informative reply it shows you are aware that the power struggle goes back deep into the history of the merging of these worlds (west/midddle/east). The media simply makes it out to be a surface game of trade and resource ownership and make IRAN to look backwards and CHINA as an 'evil against humanity' but the past wrongs done by the west get ignored.

I have long seen CHINA as the new frontrunner. They were owed that with the British Empire opium wars humiliation. A while ago China and UK had a state dinner and it was funny that the queen came out and said "they were so rude" as if it came out of nowhere. Just as you point out, they know how to play the long game. I find the story of 'The Long March' fascinating. The resilience and determination of it is even taught and replicated into modern western military.

I see IRAN as the old guard also. I haven't researched it heavily but I believe Israel have a power struggle with them that goes back to the far past. Zoroastrian for example is one of the older religions and IRAN also holds the longest running civilisation title. It's like Israel needs to destroy the old in order for them to realise their 'Greater Israel' agenda, and Third Temple Age.

TRUMP is then the oddity.

Because obviously Kushner plays a crucial role and he's the champion of that Israel agenda. Yet America is yesterday's hero and Israel are key players in the Belt And Road initiative. USA is obviously not going down without a fight but then that's the conundrum. Who benefits after it falls. The bankers clearly benefited from her rise and dominance but now that CHINA expanded the shadow game is more complex.

I'm in Australia so we are in quite a pickle.
We depend on China for profit and on USA for muscle.