As President Trump’s 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran approaches, with threats of major strikes if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, concerns are growing that any escalation could draw in other global powers directly into the U.S. homeland.
Foreign policy expert Gordon Chang has now raised alarms about the wider risks, pointing to recent mysterious drone activity over U.S. military installations.
“The important point here is that we have had, last month, over four of our important military bases, foreign drones,” Chang noted, adding “These drones were large, they were un-hackable, they obviously were not recreational, so some foreign power — probably China, maybe Russia — was operating drones over our critical air force bases.”
Gordon Chang warns President Trump against visiting China during the conflict, arguing Beijing is aiding Iran against Americans.
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 13, 2026
“China is an enemy combatant. It is helping Iranians to kill Americans…”pic.twitter.com/eVUfUOMkUu
He stressed the need for stronger homeland defense: “Right now, the United States needs to be able to defend its bases in the homeland because those drone flights were a warning to the United States of some sort.”
Chang expressed heightened concern: “We’ve really got to be concerned. These are warnings that China intends to move on the U.S. in the American homeland.”
A suspicious device discovered near MacDill Air Force Base in Florida has added to the unease.
Chang also highlighted the interconnected alliances among adversaries: “China is supporting Russia in Ukraine, and China is supporting Russia in other matters as well. They have a durable partnership, and anything that helps one of them is generally going to help the other.”
“Generally speaking, the United States now faces a very powerful combination, and we shouldn’t be doing anything that fuels that combination,” he warned.
As we highlighted earlier, the White House has issued a formal denial of any plans to use nuclear weapons against Iran amid heated rhetoric. This came after The Guardian and other outlets amplified fears of extreme escalation, with some framing Trump’s warnings in nuclear terms.
Trump stated: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”
Fox News anchor Bret Baier relayed a conversation with the president: “I just got off the phone with the president. He called. He said ‘8pm is happening. If we get to that point, there is going to be an attack like they have not seen.’ He’s sticking to that at this point.”
Reports indicate a complete diplomatic breakdown, with Iran cutting off direct communications with the U.S. following Trump’s remarks. The Iranian regime has responded by mobilizing civilians, including children, to form human shields at strategic sites such as power stations and bridges.
These developments come as the situation remains fluid, with the focus on conventional pressure to reopen the critical oil route rather than nuclear options, per the White House clarification. The coming hours could determine whether further escalation occurs or if restraint emerges.
In an interconnected world of advanced technology and shifting alliances, there is dangerous potential for conflict to spill over beyond any single region.
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