As the war involving Iran enters its third month, military analysts say the conflict is becoming a real-world case study for both Beijing and Washington, offering new insight into how a future U.S.-China conflict could unfold.

According to a CNN report, Chinese military observers are closely examining how U.S. forces perform under sustained combat conditions, especially the strengths and weaknesses of American missile defense systems.

Former Chinese Air Force Colonel Fu Qian-shao (傅前哨) said one major lesson for the PLA is the need to strengthen its own defensive capabilities.

Iran has repeatedly used low-cost drones and ballistic missiles to challenge U.S.-supplied Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems in the Middle East, raising concerns about whether even advanced air defense networks can withstand prolonged saturation attacks.

Experts say China is also studying the U.S. military’s combination of high-end and low-cost warfare tactics.

While deploying advanced weapons platforms such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, the United States has also relied heavily on guided bombs and unmanned systems to strike missile sites and infrastructure.

Taiwanese defense analysts warn China could apply similar tactics in a future Taiwan Strait conflict, combining missiles, rockets, and large drone swarms in saturation attacks.

At the same time, the United States is rethinking its own strategy. Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Samuel Paparo recently said drone warfare has significantly increased the cost of offensive operations.

Analysts say Washington’s proposed “drone sea” strategy — deploying large numbers of unmanned systems across the Taiwan Strait — is likely already being closely watched by Beijing. They also note that while China’s military has modernized rapidly, the PLA still lacks large-scale combat experience compared to many U.S. commanders shaped by decades of war in the Middle East.