The chief of Britain’s army has warned that within three years, its forces must be ready to confront an "axis of upheaval" formed by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.

General Roly Walker has identified three primary threats including China's preparations to potentially invade Taiwan. Referencing US intelligence, he said there are indications that China’s President Xi Jinping has directed the country’s military to prepare for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027.

Iran's possible pursuit of nuclear weapons and Russia's ongoing militarization exemplified by its actions in Ukraine are additional threats.

He expressed concerns that Iran might seek to violate the nuclear agreement designed to prevent it from developing atomic weapons, all while the conflict in Ukraine continues.

The British general explained that these nations are cultivating a mutual alliance characterized by exchanging weapons and technologies and warned that this convergence of threats could reach a critical juncture by 2027.

While emphasizing that conflict is not unavoidable, Walker forewarned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would likely emerge from the invasion of Ukraine as "very, very dangerous" and "seeking retribution" against nations such as the UK that supported Ukrainian forces, regardless of the war's outcome.

Both Iran and North Korea have bolstered Russia's efforts in the Ukraine conflict. Since mid-2022, Iran has supplied Russia with over a thousand Shahed UAVs which have been extensively deployed to target civilian infrastructure and urban areas in Ukraine.

In 2019, Iran commenced annual trilateral naval exercises with Russia and China in the Arabian Sea, with the latest occurring in March. Furthermore, in 2021, Iran and China formalized a 25-year cooperation agreement wherein Beijing committed $400 billion (£309 billion) to invigorate Iran's economy by developing its energy, transportation, and manufacturing sectors in return for discounted Iranian oil.