South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has confirmed the United States may need to relocate air defense assets from Asia to the Middle East, amid reports the Pentagon has already moved launchers from an advanced missile defense system out of the region.
The confirmation has deepened anxiety among Washington's Indo-Pacific allies, who have been on guard as the Pentagon continues to funnel weapons into the Iran conflict, "Hvylya" reports, citing Bloomberg.
The potential drawdown adds to a broader pattern of US military redeployments from the region. Washington is already sending a unit of up to 2,400 Marines from Japan to the Middle East, along with a command vessel carrying F-35 fighter jets and helicopters. Western officials said China's military views these shifts as a tangible positive, seeing the strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific tilt in Beijing's favor.
President Xi Jinping would probably welcome the diversion of US attention and resources from the region, the officials told Bloomberg. China has repeatedly said Taiwan must be brought under its control - by force if necessary - though it has not indicated any imminent preparations to act.
Prominent Chinese blogger Ren Yi, writing on X under the moniker "Chairman Rabbit," argued the reallocation of US military assets shows that American allies find themselves in an "Israel First" universe. "Other allies and partners are at the bottom, left to fight for scraps," he wrote.
China's Ministry of Defense did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment. Xi has also launched the country's biggest purge of military generals since Mao Zedong's era - an anti-corruption campaign that has raised questions about the PLA's actual combat readiness.
Also read: Trump Declares US Needs No Help From NATO or Allies Against Iran.