The intelligence community has released a 30-page threat assessment highlighting the increasing coordination of four major adversaries against the United States: China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea.
China is identified as the “actor most capable of threatening US interests globally” but remains cautious to avoid risking its economic and diplomatic image. The country is actively working to replace the US as the world’s dominant superpower and has launched complex campaigns using coercive military, economic, and influence operations.
Beijing is expected to apply stronger pressure against Taiwan in 2025 to achieve eventual unification with the island. China also faces criticism for its cyber threats to the US government and private sector, while predicting a national-level strategy designed to displace the US as the world’s most influential AI power by 2030.
Russia has rapidly developed a modern nuclear force to circumvent US missile defense, with President Vladimir Putin showing no signs of winding down his war against Ukraine. The conflict is seen as a defining moment in Russia’s strategic competition with the US and a crucial test of Putin’s legacy.
The assessment also reveals that China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea are increasingly working together to support each other. China provides economic and security assistance to Russia’s war effort, while Russia offers military and technical support to Iran in exchange for military supplies and intelligence cooperation.
North Korea has sent significant troops and munitions to Russia’s war against Ukraine, allowing Pyongyang to reduce its dependence on China. However, the assessment also notes that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear program suspended in 2003.
Despite this, Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile has reached unprecedented levels, and the country continues to develop chemical and biological agents for military use. The intelligence community has highlighted threats from non-state actors, including cartels and transnational criminal organizations, which are engaging in illicit activities that endanger American lives.
The report did not include a discussion on climate change this year, with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stating she was unsure who excised the section.
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/03/25/us-news/spy-agencies-warn-russia-iran-china-and-north-korea-are-teaming-up-against-us-like-never-before