University of Indonesia Professor Reveals US Strikes on Iran Driven by Motive to 'Weaken China'

Tensions in the Middle East have intensified following military strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran. Yon Machmudi, a Middle East observer at the University of Indonesia, assessed that this latest escalation demonstrates a far more dominant role for the US compared to previous conflicts.

The combined US-Israeli operation on Saturday (28 February 2026) targeted several areas in Iran, including Tehran. The operation was conducted amid increased pressure on Iran regarding its nuclear programme and regional security concerns.

According to Yon, in this latest conflict, American interests appear more prominent than the previous strikes in mid-2025, which were primarily dominated by Israel.

“If the previous attack was initiated by Israel, so Israeli interests were very dominant, but now it is America under Trump who is eager to conduct the strikes,” Professor Yon told Republika on Saturday (28 February 2026).

He assessed that the United States’ actions began with diplomatic pressure to encourage Iran to negotiate, but ultimately escalated to military action. In his view, there is a strong ambition from the US President to weaken Iran after previous attempts to destabilise the Tehran government through internal pressure had failed.

This situation emerged following Israel’s announcement of preliminary strikes against Iran, also accompanied by US military support. Iran subsequently launched direct retaliation, including against American military bases in the region.

Furthermore, Yon assessed that American interests regarding Iran are not solely about the Iran-Israel conflict, but are also linked to broader global geopolitical competition with China. He observed that the United States is seeking to weaken countries allied with China, particularly oil-producing nations.