Trump and Iran: North Korea will now defend nuclear weapons more than ever

Trump and Iran: North Korea will now defend nuclear weapons more than ever

Seoul, South Korea-while American B-2 bombers flew over Iran and targeted systems that are connected to the nuclear ambitions of Tehrans, decision-makers and analysts in East Asia are already asking themselves: Which signal sends this to North Korea, a country whose nuclear is far advanced than that of Iran?

consequences of the US military actions

Experts warn that The military actions Washington Maybe Pyongyang's determination could strengthen his weapon program and deepen the cooperation with Russia. In addition, this could consolidate Kim Jong un's belief that nuclear weapons are the ultimate protection against a pressure operated by the US regime change.

The reality of the North Korean nuclear program

Despite years of trying to convince North Korea, the nuclear weapons program, the KIM regime is considered in the possession of several nuclear explosive heads and rockets that can potentially reach the United States. This means that a possible military blow on the Korean peninsula would be associated with significantly higher risks.

"The attack by President Trump on the Iranian nuclear systems will undoubtedly increase the legitimacy of the long-standing strategy of North Korea to preserve its rule and development of nuclear weapons," said Lim Eul-Chul, professor of North Korea studies at the Kyungnam University in South Korea.

"North Korea sees the latest US air attack as a preventive military threat and will probably accelerate his efforts to improve his own skills for preventive nuclear rocket attacks," added Lim.

The role of Russia in the geopolitics of North Korea

This acceleration could come through Russian help, due to the developing military relationship that the two neighbors have built up in Ukraine after the invasion of Moscow.

Since the formal establishment of the strategic partnership in 2024, it has become a vital economic and military lifeline for North Korea, while the western sanctions continue.

"Based on the strategic alliance between North Korea and Russia, Pyongyang will probably move in the direction of common weapons development, combined military exercises, technology transfers and greater mutual dependency both economically and militarily," said Lim.

military support and their consequences

North Korea sent more than 14,000 soldiers and millions of ammunitions, including rockets and bombs, to support the Russian invasion, according to a report by the Multilateral Sanction Monitoring Team (MSMT), an initiative that consists of 11 Member States of the United Nations.

These measures "enable North Korea to finance its military programs and further develop its Ballistic-Missile program, which is prohibited even under several UN Security Council resolutions, and to gain practical experience in modern warfare," said the report.

The teachings from the past

In the eyes of Kim's eyes, the most recent military action in the USA in Iran follows a worrying logic: countries without nuclear weapons, from Iraq and Libya to Iran, are susceptible to interventions by the US-led coalition, explained Victor Cha, Korea expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. North Korea, which has already tested six nuclear devices and has developed long -haul rockets, considers its arsenal to be not negotiable.

According to the Cha, the US air attacks on Tehran's nuclear systems will probably leave a lasting impression on the KIM regime. "The attacks on Iran will only confirm two things for North Korea, of which none is good for US politics," he said.

"Firstly: The USA does not have an option to use violence against the North Korean nuclear program, as they had in the case of Iran. Second: The attack only confirms Kim's conviction that it has to strive for and update a nuclear arsenal."

nuclear skills in comparison

The difference between Iran and North Korea is clear, especially with regard to the nuclear skills. "The nuclear program Pyong songs is more advanced and could be equipped with weapons that may be ready on several delivery mechanisms, including ICBMs," said Leif-Eric Easley, Professor of International Security at EWHA Womans University in Seoul.

"The KIM regime can threaten the American homeland, and Seoul is within the reach of many North Korean weapons of different types," he added.

Iran, on the other hand, has not yet developed any available nuclear weapon, and according to the latest assessment of the international atomic energy authority, uranium enrichment remains below the threshold for weapons creation.

In addition, Iran has followed years of diplomacy with the USA and the western powers through its nuclear program, diplomatics that were supposedly still in force when Trump ordered the B-2-Stealth aircraft to drop "bunker-bombs" bombs to the Iranian nuclear systems.

The risk of escalation

It is assumed that North Korea has between 40 and 50 nuclear warheads, together with the means to deliver them in the region and potentially to the US festival country.

"An attack on North Korea could provoke the risk of a comprehensive nuclear war," warned Lim from the Kyungnam University.

He added that the US military measures against North Korea would also require a prior consultation with the South Korean government in accordance with the US South Korea alliance contract, which brings political and legal implications.

External powers must also be taken into account. In contrast to Iran, North Korea has a formal defense agreement with Russia, "which enables Russia to intervene automatically in the event of an attack," emphasized Lim.

This matrix of deterrence-nuclear skills, US regional alliances and Russian support-probably protects Pyongyang from the kind of one-sided military actions that Washington has practiced in Iran.

In the end, said Lim, the blow against Iran could not serve as a deterrent against proliferation, but as justification.

"This attack will deepen the distrust of North Korea towards the United States," he said, "and will probably act as a catalyst for a change in North Korean foreign policy, in particular by strengthening and deepening military cooperation with Russia."