Last week, the ICT ministers of Iran and China met in Beijing in order to discuss “common challenges” in the face of “US unilateralism.” The countries looked into “ways to boost cooperation in the field of information technology and countering threats in cyberspace—and agreed to establish a joint workgroup to survey and counter those threats,” Iranian state media reported.

As a result of these developments, these two Untied States adversaries may eventually begin coordinating offensive cyber campaigns targeting US systems, which could lead to further escalations in cyberspace. The timing of the announcement is significant, since tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent weeks, while Washington is also engaged in fierce technological and trade competition with Beijing.

Read more: Cyber Warfare Threat Rises As Iran And China Agree ‘United Front’ Against US