Kuala Lampur, May 13 -- President Donald Trump may insist that Iran is not central to his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Yet the strategic reality suggests otherwise. Iran will inevitably dominate the background of the talks.

Trump recently declared that he did not need Xi's help in resolving the conflict that began more than two months ago following the massive joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. According to Trump, the United States has Iran "very much under control."

But if Iran is truly under control, why is Washington escalating sanctions against Chinese-linked satellite and technology firms allegedly assisting Iran?

That contradiction is impossible to ignore.

In recent days, the United States imposed sanction...