The growing alignment between Russia, China, North Korea and Iran is increasingly affecting the global balance of power and becoming a serious challenge for the United States and its allies, according to observers writing in Foreign Affairs.

The article notes that Washington’s four main adversaries have sent a clear signal in recent months. Although these countries have not formed a single official bloc, their cooperation is often built through bilateral ties. The authors argue that this model does not weaken coordination; on the contrary, it makes the partnership more flexible and effective.

Foreign Affairs writes that bilateral agreements among Washington’s current opponents can be concluded faster, are easier to conceal or deny, and better match the immediate strategic needs of each party than traditional formal authoritarian alliances. According to the magazine, the structure now emerging among the four states may prove more adaptable and, in some ways, more dangerous.

The observers point to the Ukrainian conflict, which began in 2022, as one of the main factors that accelerated the rapprochement between Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang and Tehran.

The article also says that Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are helping one another reduce the impact of Western sanctions and ease strategic isolation. Foreign Affairs separately highlights the role of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, noting that these platforms allow the countries to promote alternative political and economic mechanisms outside institutions dominated by the United States.

The authors conclude that a parallel system of security and industrial cooperation is gradually taking shape within this group of U.S. adversaries, making it less vulnerable to pressure from Washington.