U.S. Defense Strategy Shifts Focus From Iran to Taiwan

The U.S. defense strategy is increasingly focusing on the Taiwan scenario over the Iran threat, signaling a move to leverage South Korea and Japan as military linchpins. Having departed from its 'win-two-wars' strategy adopted after 2010, the U.S. has set homeland defense as its top priority and identified China as its sole competitor in the National Defense Strategy (NDS) released in January 2025.

The interim National Defense Strategy Guidance (NDS), as revealed by The Washington Post, designates deterring a Chinese takeover of Taiwan as the U.S. military's foremost priority, necessitating acceptable military risks in other regions like Europe.

Consequently, the U.S. is moving to utilize South Korea and Japan as critical links in its Taiwan strategy. Last June, the Marine Corps of South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, along with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, conducted a joint amphibious landing exercise in the waters north of the Philippines.

The U.S.'s Taiwan-centric defense strategy is raising concerns about disruptions to the supply chain of Taiwan, the world's largest semiconductor production base, and is contributing to volatility in Northeast Asian financial markets.