Bullies seek opportunity among the vulnerable. For decades on the global stage China, Iran, and Russia have written the playbook. 

• Russia continues to blatantly violate international borders, most notably with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but Moldova, Georgia and increasingly the Baltics are feeling uneasy as Putin tries to reassemble the Soviet Union. Russia has mastered its art through the persistent presence in other regions through hybrid warfare, disinformation, and the use of private military groups.

• China pursues territorial claims in the South China Sea, ignoring rulings by international courts, and ramping up military pressure on Taiwan and other nations in the region. Through economic coercion, cyber-espionage, and control of global supply chains, Beijing exerts influence beyond its borders in ways that challenge the rules-based order. China also has its eye on space starting on the Moon. 

• Iran sponsors proxy militias throughout the Middle East — from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen — fueling regional conflict. At the same time, its cyber capabilities and efforts to influence foreign elections demonstrate a growing sophistication in non-traditional warfare. Iran may be on its back heel, but there are no signs of regime change. However, Lebanon has an opportunity to escape Iran's grip.

All three regimes have increasingly turned to information warfare, cyberattacks, and election interference to weaken democracies from within, exploit societal divisions, and erode trust in institutions. Together, they represent a multipolar threat that requires coordinated responses from democratic nations committed to the rule of law, sovereignty, and global security.