Top US general: China, Iran, Russia will be ‘problematic for many years to come’

The top US military officer cautioned lawmakers on Wednesday about the growing cooperation between China, Iran and Russia, saying the three countries will pose a problem for Washington “for many years to come.”

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that Russia and China are moving closer together, calling the development “troublesome.”

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“I wouldn’t call it a true full alliance in the real meaning of that word, but we are seeing them moving closer together, and that’s troublesome,” CNN quoted Milley as saying during a House Committee on Armed Services hearing alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

“And then… Iran is the third. So those three countries together are going to be problematic for many years to come I think, especially Russia and China because of their capability,” he added.

Milley said that China and Russia pose significant threats to US interests and way of life, and represent the first time the US is facing two major nuclear powers simultaneously.

During a separate hearing on Tuesday, he had expressed concerns about Iran’s potential to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon “in less than two weeks” and create a nuclear weapon within a few months.

“The United States military has developed multiple options for our national leadership to consider if or when Iran decides to develop a nuclear weapon,” said Milley.

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