North Korea has sent a top-level delegation to Iran for the first time in five years, raising concerns from the US over the two countries' arms cooperation.
Consequences of increased military cooperation between North Korea and Iran
The delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Economic Affairs Yoon Jong-ho, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday. Yun Jung-ho has already visited Russia this month, where he plays a crucial role in bilateral trade. The last high-ranking North Korean official to visit Iran took place in 2019.
Possible consequences of increased military cooperation between North Korea and Iran:
Increasing destabilisation in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Violation of UN sanctions against North Korea and Iran.
The US has expressed concern about ties between North Korea and Iran, and Washington has called for compliance with UN sanctions.
North Korea and Iran have long challenged the US, and the war in Ukraine may stimulate their cooperation. Growing ties between North Korea and Iran could negatively affect global security.
What is known about the relations between Iran and North Korea
Iran and North Korea, long suspected by the US of a joint nuclear missile program that began in the 1980s and continued into the 2000s, have reduced their cooperation in recent years due to sanctions and the development of their own weapons production.
Washington accuses both countries of violating sanctions and supplying Russia with weapons for the war in Ukraine. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, during a visit to South Korea this month, said Moscow was offering North Korea and Iran aid in exchange for weapons that fueled their weapons programs.
North Korea's warm relationship with Russia makes its weapons attractive to terrorist groups around the world, creating a real danger, according to a senior State Department official on North Korean affairs Jeon Park.
