Trump, Iran attacks increase North Korea's nuclear weapons

Trump, Iran attacks increase North Korea's nuclear weapons

Seoul, South Korea-While American B-2 bombers flew across Iran and attacks in connection with Tehran's nuclear ambitions, decision-makers and analysts in East Asia have already asked a crucial question: Which signal does this send to North Korea, a country whose nuclear arsenal is far more advanced than that of Iran?

risk of escalation

Experts warn that Washington Pyongyang's determination could increase his weapon program and deepen the cooperation with Russia. This underpins the conviction of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that nuclear weapons are the ultimate means of deterrent against a change of regime enforced by the USA.

nuclear program North Korea

Despite years of trying to dissuade North Korea from its nuclear weapon program, it is assumed that Kim's regime has several nuclear weapons and rockets that can potentially reach the United States. This means that a military blow on the Korean peninsula would bring significantly higher risks.

"The attack by President Trump on Iran's nuclear facilities will undoubtedly further strengthen the legitimacy of North Korea's long-standing politics of regime survival and the development of nuclear weapons," said Lim Eul-Chul, professor of North Korean studies at the Kyungnam University in South Korea. "North Korea considers the US air attack as a pre-counterpive military threat and is expected to accelerate its efforts to improve his own skills for pre-empire nuclear rocket attacks," he added.

Russian support

Analysts warn that this acceleration could be carried out by the support of Russia, which is due to the resulting military relationship between the two neighbors after Moscow Invasion of Ukraine. Since the official foundation of its strategic partnership in 2024, this relationship has developed into an important economic and military lifeline for Pyongyang, especially in the midst of persistent western sanctions.

"In view of the strategic alliance between North Korea and Russia, Pyongyang is expected to progress in the direction of joint weapons development, combined military exercises, technology transfers and greater mutual dependency in economic and military terms," said Lim.

According to a report by the Multilateral Sanction Monitoring Team (MSMT), North Korea sent more than 14,000 soldiers and millions of ammunition, including rockets, to support Russia.

military cooperation

lesson from international conflicts

for Kim follows the latest US military campaigns in Iran a questionable logic: countries without nuclear weapons, from Iraq and Libya to Iran, are susceptible to interventions under the leadership of the USA, explained Victor Cha, head of the Korea department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. North Korea, which has already tested six nuclear explosive heads and developed long -haul rockets, considers its arsenal to be not negotiable.

According to the Cha, Washington Air straps against Tehran's nuclear systems are expected to leave a lasting impression on the KIM regime. "The attacks on Iran will only confirm two things for North Korea, of which none of which is advantageous for US politics," he said. "First: The United States does not have an option for the use of military violence in the North Korea's nuclear program, as they had for Iran. Second: The blow will only confirm Kim's conviction, to pursue and maintain a nuclear arsenal."

The difference between Iran and North Korea

The contrast between Iran and North Korea is particularly clear with regard to the nuclear skills. "The nuclear program Pyongyangs is much more advanced, with weapons that may be ready for use on several delivery systems, including ICBMs," said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international security at EWHA Womans University in Seoul. ICBMS are intercontinental ballistic rockets that can travel far further than any rocket that Iran has.

"The Kim regime can threaten the US home, and Seoul is within reach of many North Korean weapons of different types," he added. Iran, on the other hand, has not yet developed a available nuclear weapon, and according to the latest assessment of the international atomic energy authority, uranium enrichment remained below the threshold for a weapon technology.

The country had also operated diplomacy with the USA and western countries for years through its nuclear program-diplomacy that was supposedly still in progress when Trump ordered B-2-stental aircraft "bunker breakers" bombs to throw nuclear systems.

complex deterrent strategies

It assumes that North Korea has 40 to 50 explosive heads together with the means to transport them in the region and possibly to the US festival country. "An attack on North Korea could conjure up the risk of a comprehensive nuclear war," warned Lim from Kyungnam University.

he added that, according to the alliance contract between the USA and South Korea, the United States military actions against North Korea would also require a prior consultation with the South Korean government, a step that has political and legal implications.

There are also external powers to take into account. In contrast to Iran, North Korea has a formal defense agreement with Russia, "Russia enables automatic intervention in the event of an attack," emphasized Lim. This network of deterrent-nuclear skills, regional US alliance and Russian support-Pyongyg probably shields against the type of one-sided military actions that Washington in Iran has.

In the end, the attack on Iran could not serve as a deterrent in proliferation, but as a justification. "This attack will deepen the distrust of North Korea compared to the United States," said Lim, "and is expected to act as a catalyst for a change in North Korea's foreign policy, especially by strengthening and deepening military cooperation with Russia."