The US strategy to counter China’s growing influence is being inadvertently undermined by its own policies toward Iran. Decades of effort to limit Beijing’s reach are suffering as sanctions and conflict with Iran jeopardize the Chabahar port project. This Iranian port, strongly supported by India, offered a trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan and the Chinese-controlled Gwadar port. Chabahar served as a strategic counterbalance to China's presence in the region. The current situation risks handing China greater control over vital trade routes, strengthening its position. Consequently, Washington's approach to Iran appears to be a self-defeating move in the broader geopolitical competition with China.