Iran's New Missile Looks Like North Korea's

The Warzone/The Drive: Iran's New Ballistic Missile Looks a Lot Like a Modified North Korean One

The Iranians showed off the new missile after fiery rhetoric from President Trump and threats to scrap the Iran Deal.

Shortly after revealing the new Khorramshahr medium range ballistic missile to the public for the first time, Iran released a never before seen video showing a successful test of the weapon, but did not give a date or place for the footage. The new development will undoubtedly have an impact on whether U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration decide to scrap a deal with Iran over its controversial nuclear program, but it also underscores long-standing concerns that the Iranian authorities have been working with the North Koreans and other allies to skirt their international obligations.

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WNU Editor: WNU has been documenting this Iran - North Korea connection/relationship for years ....

The Iran Connection To North Korea's Missile Launch (December 16, 2012)
After This Weekend's North Korean Missile Test Will Iran Now Want To Buy This Rocket? (February 8, 2016)
The Pentagon Is Taking Note On The Growing Iran-North Korean Military Alliance (May 5, 2017)
Did North Korea Cooperate With Iran In Its Latest Missile Test? (February 4, 2017)

President Trump: Iran 'Working With North Korea'

Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel.They are also working with North Korea.Not much of an agreement we have!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

FOX News: Trump says Iran 'working with North Korea' after ballistic missile test

President Trump accused Iran of collaborating with North Korea to strengthen their missile technology Saturday evening in a Twitter post criticizing the 2015 nuclear agreement between the U.S., Iran and five other nations.

"Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel," Trump wrote. "They are also working with North Korea. Not much of an agreement we have!"

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More News On President Trump's Remarks That Iran And North Korea Are Working Together

Trump: Iran nuclear deal 'not much of an agreement' -- The Hill
Trump knocks Iran deal after Tehran tests missile -- Politico
Iran tests new ballistic missile in defiance of Trump -- France 24
Iran missile "capable of reaching Israel," Trump says -- CBS
Defying US warnings, Iran tests new missile capable of reaching Israel -- The Times of Israel
Iran Tests New Ballistic Missile, State Media Reports -- NBC News
Iran's Rohani Vows Stronger Missile Capabilities -- Radio Free Europe
Iran tests new missile after U.S. criticizes arms program -- Reuters

Iran Blames The U.S. On Why North Korea Is Testing Nuclear Weapons

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses a parliamentary session in Tehran on August 15, 2017. ATTA KENARE (AFP)

AFP: Iran says US threats against N.Korea are danger to world

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that threats by the United States had pushed North Korea to test nuclear weapons and were a "dangerous game for the entire world".

"Why has North Korea chosen this path today which has worried people in East Asia? It is because of threats against North Korea's existence," Rouhani said in a speech to his cabinet shown on state television.

"Can one joke around with atomic weapons? When a country has obtained an atomic weapon, then the game of threatening them becomes a dangerous game for the entire world," he added.

"We believe this issue must be resolved through negotiations and dialogue."

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WNU Editor: Is Iranian President Rouhani laying the groundwork on what would motivate Iran to develop and test nuclear weapons in the future? Some of Iran's neighbors are worried .... What does the West need to do to stop Iran from becoming North Korea? (The Jerusalem Post)

Will North Korea Share Its Nuclear Secrets With Iran?

A ballistic missile is launched and tested in an undisclosed location, Iran, March 9, 2016. Mahmood Hosseini, Reuters

Washington Free Beacon: North Korea Nuclear Progress Puts Iran on Renewed Pathway to Bomb

Iranian, North Korean leaders meet after hydrogen bomb test, testing U.S. resolve

U.S. officials are closely monitoring an ongoing meeting between senior North Korean and Iranian officials that comes on the heels of a nuclear test by Pyongyang, according to senior Trump administration officials and other sources who expressed concern that North Korea is helping to put the Islamic Republic back on the pathway to a functional nuclear weapon.

Sources told the Washington Free Beacon that Pyongyang continues to stockpile illicit nuclear material on Iran's behalf in order to help the Islamic Republic skirt restrictions implemented under the landmark nuclear deal.

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WNU Editor: There is an error in the above Washington Free Beacon article .... this meeting between North Korean and Iranian leaders occurred last month .... not after this weekend's nuclear test .... North Korea's #2 Top Official Cuts His Trip Short To Iran As The Crisis Between The U.S. And North Korea Intensifies (August 8, 2017). Error on the dates aside, the North Korean - Iranian history of military cooperation has been known for a long time .... and there has been more than enough leaks indicating that they are sharing missile and nuclear technology. My prediction .... after this weekend's nuclear test, this cooperation is going to intensify.

Update: No .... this is not the model to use with North Korea .... Germany's Merkel: Iran deal a model for solving North Korea problem (FOX News).

Why Iran Is Closely Watching The U.S. - North Korean 'Stand-Off'

Reuters

Hussein Ibish, The National: Iran is closely watching the US-North Korea stand-off

Tehran’s sense of how far it can go will largely be shaped by what happens on the other side of Asia in the coming months

Donald Trump’s improvised and unconvincing threats about “fire and fury” and being “locked and loaded” notwithstanding, the crisis over North Korea’s growing nuclear prowess and reach is all too serious. And the confrontation provides a template for how a dispute over Iran’s analogous nuclear ambitions could play out in the future.

There are many important differences. Pyongyang is at least two decades ahead of Tehran in developing both nuclear warheads and missiles. North Korea has long since crossed the nuclear threshold. The argument now is over the scope and reach of their arsenal.

North Korea has a powerful, albeit exasperated, patron in China. Iran does not.

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WNU Editor: Iran is not the only country that is closely watching this U.S.-North Korean stand-off. On a side note, here is a brief look at why the Iran - north Korean connection should concern everyone .... North Korea’s Deadly Partnership With Iran (Daily Beast/Iranwire).

North Korea's #2 Top Official Cuts His Trip Short To Iran As The Crisis Between The U.S. And North Korea Intensifies

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani meets with North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam in 2013.

NK: North Korean delegation wraps up Iran visit

Trip included opening of new embassy and meetings with foreign representatives: KCNA

A delegation that included two high ranking members of the North Korean government departed from Iran on Monday following a four-day diplomatic visit, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday.

Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, led a North Korean delegation to Tehran on August 3 and was joined by Choe Hui Chol, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to state media coverage of the delegation, the purpose of the visit was to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was reelected for a second term in May.

Subsequent reporting by state media, however, also revealed that the group was also in Iran to oversee the opening of newly-constructed DPRK embassy in Tehran.

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WNU Editor: No one else is reporting this .... so I guess this is a WNU exclusive. But this North Korean visit to Iran was suppose to be a 10 day trip, not 4 .... North Korea's #2 Official Is In Iran For 10 Days (August 5, 2017). The only person who could have ordered him back like this has to be North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. It makes you wonder .... what does Kim Jong-Un know that we do not?

North Korea's #2 Official Is In Iran For 10 Days

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani meets with North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam in 2013.

CNBC: North Korea's 'No. 2' official on 10-day visit to Iran that may signal wider military ties

* Iran's official IRNA news agency reported Kim Yong Nam, head of North Korea's parliament, arrived Thursday for the weekend inauguration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
* But given he is expected to stay 10 days, the trip is being seen as a front for Pyongyang to perhaps increase military cooperation with Tehran and to boost the hard currency for Kim Jong Un's regime.
* "There could be very problematic cooperation going on," an Israeli-based national security expert said.

Amid new U.S. sanctions, North Korea's "No. 2" official began a 10-day visit to Iran on Thursday that could result in the two sides expanding their ties.

Iran's official IRNA news agency reported Kim Yong Nam, chairman of the Supreme Assembly of North Korea, arrived Thursday for the weekend inauguration ceremony for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

But given the head of North Korea's parliament is expected to stay for 10 days in Iran, the trip is being seen as a front for other purposes, including expanding military cooperation. At the same time, Pyongyang is looking for ways to counter sanctions and to boost the hard currency for Kim Jong Un's regime.

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WNU editor: When a senior government official arrives in a country for 10 days of talks .... that tells me that a lot has already been agreed upon, and that the "top official" is there to not only make sure that there are no "hick-ups", but to also explore other agreements/arrangements. The scary thing about North Korea is that they need hard cash, and they have nothing to sell but weapons, missiles, and nuclear tech ....  three products that we know Iran has shown more than an interest on buying in the past few years.

The Pentagon Is Taking Note On The Growing Iran-North Korean Military Alliance

FOX News: Pentagon eyes Iran-North Korea military connection

When Iran attempted to launch a cruise missile from a “midget” submarine earlier this week, Pentagon officials saw more evidence of North Korean influence in the Islamic Republic – with intelligence reports saying the submarine was based on a Pyongyang design, the same type that sank a South Korean warship in 2010.

According to U.S. defense officials, Iran was attempting to launch a Jask-2 cruise missile underwater for the first time, but the launch failed. Nonproliferation experts have long suspected North Korea and Iran are sharing expertise when it comes to their rogue missile programs.

“The very first missiles we saw in Iran were simply copies of North Korean missiles,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a missile proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. “Over the years, we've seen photographs of North Korean and Iranian officials in each other's countries, and we've seen all kinds of common hardware.”

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WNU Editor: This North Korean-Iran cooperation has been ongoing for a long time .... Did North Korea Cooperate With Iran In Its Latest Missile Test? (February 4, 2017).

Did North Korea Cooperate With Iran In Its Latest Missile Test?

38 North: Iran’s Missile Test: Getting the Facts Straight on North Korea’s Cooperation

On January 29, Iran tested a new ballistic missile it dubbed the Khorramshahr, which reportedly flew a distance of about 1,000 kilometers. Little is known about the missile, though some have speculated that it relies on a liquid-fueled engine originally developed by the Isayev Design Bureau for the Soviet R-27 submarine-launched ballistic missile. If so, this could make it a variant of the North Korean Musudan (KN-10), an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that uses the same engine and that Pyongyang began flight testing in 2016. The ramifications of such a connection would be significant, not only because it would signify ongoing close Iranian-North Korean missile cooperation, but also because such an engine would be a foundation for Iran to develop a viable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). However, contrary to some assertions, the available evidence cannot verify speculation that the Iranian missile is similar to North Korea’s Musudan, or reports that Pyongyang exported R-27 engines to Iran.[1]

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Update #1: Pentagon: Iran Tested a Ballistic Missile With North Korean Origins (Popular Mechanics)
Update #2: Iran's New Missile That Has Donald Trump Steaming Mad: Born in North Korea? (Dave Majumdar, National Interest)

WNU Editor: There is a lot of conflicting information on what is North Korea's role in Iran's missile program. But there are military ties between Iran and North Korea (see the above above), and one can only speculate that they are cooperating on their "shared interests".

After This Weekend's North Korean Missile Test Will Iran Now Want To Buy This Rocket?

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (R) and Chairman of North Korea's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-NAM meet in Tehran on Saturday, September 1, 2012. Press TV (Iran)

Gordon G. Chang, Daily Beast: North Korean Nuke-Capable Missile Could Hit U.S. and Be Sold to Iran

The launch on Sunday is another sign of Pyongyang’s growing threat, and the impotence of U.S. and global efforts to stop it.

On Sunday, North Korea completed its second-in-a-row successful test of a three-stage launcher, showing the regime’s mastery of an especially complex technology.

Pyongyang claims it put an earth observation satellite — the Kwangmyongsong-4 — in a polar orbit. More likely, the object now circling the earth is a decoy. In 2012, after the North’s last long-range test, it announced it had put a communications satellite in space. No signal, however, has ever been detected from the device.

That “satellite,” and the one launched this week, are about the same weight as a nuclear warhead, and that was the point of these elaborate exercises. North Korea has been putting dead objects in orbit so that it can test, in violation of four sets of UN Security Council resolutions, its ballistic missile technology under the guise of a civilian rocket program.

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WNU Editor: I do not see such a deal going down. Iran is more focused on establishing trade and oil deals to boost its own finances and policy objectives .... buying a nuclear capable rocket from the North Koreans and the blow-back that it would entail is probably on the bottom of their list (if it is even on the list).

North Korea's Nuclear Test Raises Fears That Iran Will Benefit From Its Results

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (R) and Chairman of North Korea's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-NAM meet in Tehran on Saturday, September 1, 2012. Press TV (Iran)

Business Insider: North Korea's nuclear test reveals a major flaw with the Iran deal

North Korea's fourth nuclear test could have been a crucial step toward Pyongyang developing thermonuclear capability — and a breakthrough for a second country with potential nuclear ambitions, as well.

Iran has established ties to the North Korean nuclear-weapons program. As The Daily Beast notes, Iranian officials, including Iranian nuclear program head Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, were present during North Korea's three previous nuclear tests — in 2006, 2009, and 2013.

Testing data is a potential bonanza for a nuclear-weapons program. It could include information about the design and yield of the device detonated — or about the size and configuration of the bomb's uranium hemisphere or plutonium core. Testing data could indicate the weight and shape of the nuclear device, its triggering mechanisms, or the warhead's material composition.

WNU Editor: These fears have been around for a very long time .... U.S. Wants Sanctions Enforced Against Iranian And North Korean Arms Networks.

Does Iran Have A Secret Nuclear Cooperation Agreement With North Korea?

North Korea Deputy Foreign Minister meets with Iran's Ambassador to North Korea
Photo from IRNA

Gorodn G. Chang, Daily Beast: Does Iran Have Secret Nukes in North Korea?

Washington’s nuclear deal with Tehran depends on aggressive inspections inside Iran. But the mullahs may well have a secret program outside their borders.

In October 2012, Iran began stationing personnel at a military base in North Korea, in a mountainous area close to the Chinese border. The Iranians, from the Ministry of Defense and associated firms, reportedly are working on both missiles and nuclear weapons. Ahmed Vahidi, Tehran’s minister of defense at the time, denied sending people to the North, but the unconfirmed dispatches make sense in light of the two states announcing a technical cooperation pact the preceding month.

The P5+1—the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany—appear determined, before their self-imposed March 31 deadline, to ink a deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding its nuclear energy program, which is surely a cover for a wide-ranging weapons effort. The international community wants the preliminary arrangement now under discussion, referred to as a “framework agreement,” to ensure that the country remains at least one year away from being able to produce an atomic device.

WNU Editor: Talk of an Iran - North Korean nuclear connection has been around for a very long time .... Did North Korea Test A Nuclear Warhead For Iran? There is more here. Interestingly .... as these Iranian talks continue, some are now commenting that the U.S. should engage with North Korea on its nuclear program using the Iranian talks as a template. What is my take .... there is no reason to trust Iran .... and there is definitely no reason to trust North Korea ... but it will not surprise me if after Iran the White House will then focus on North Korea.

The Joint North Korean - Iran ICBM Program

Terrifying: The Hwasong-13 missile could give North Korea the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii - but is yet to be tested

Iran, North Korea Secretly Developing New Long-Range Rocket Booster For ICBMs -- Bill Gertz, Washington Free Beacon

Iranian missile group delegation visited Pyongyang as Geneva nuclear talks were underway

Iranian missile technicians secretly visited North Korea as part of joint development of a new rocket booster for long-range missiles or space launchers at the same time nuclear talks took place in Geneva, according to U.S. officials.

Several groups of technicians from the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), a unit in charge of building Iran’s liquid-fueled missiles, traveled to Pyongyang during the past several months, including as recently as late October, to work on the new, 80-ton rocket booster being developed by the North Koreans, according to officials familiar with intelligence reports.

The booster is believed by U.S. intelligence agencies to be intended for a new long-range missile or space launch vehicle that could be used to carry nuclear warheads, and could be exported to Iran in the future.

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My Comment: So much for the Russian Foreign Minister's recent remarks that the Iranian deal would nullify the need for a Europe Missile Shield. As to developments on the Iranian - North Korea joint missile program .... these fears were first voiced this summer.

Western Diplomat: Iranian Scientists On Hand To Witness North Korea's Nuclear Test

Iranian Scientists Believed To Have Attended North Korean Nuclear Test, Report Says -- Washington Times

Iranian scientists may have been on hand to witness North Korea’s underground nuclear test, according to one Western diplomat.

The source, unnamed but described as having knowledge of inside Iran-North Korea talks and ties, according to United Press International, said an Iranian presence would mean the international community is likely right — that Iran is actively and aggressively pursuing development of nuclear weapons.

According to UPI, the source said that Iran may have paid Pyongyang tens of millions of dollars — in Chinese currency — to obtain access to the test. The Jerusalem Post, too, reported on suspicions of Iran’s presence at the Tuesday test.

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Previous Post: Was This Week's North Korean Nuclear Test Also An Iranian One?

My Comment: If the story that they paid millions to just be present is true .... it makes you wonder on how much would they pay for obtaining nuclear know how and technology .... or how much would they pay for one or two workable bombs. Or more to the point .... how much would North Korea sell this tech and no-how. One billion .... two billion .... talk about nightmare scenarios.

Was This Week's North Korean Nuclear Test Also An Iranian One?

Why Iran Already Has The Bomb -- Lee Smith, Tablet

If North Korea has the bomb, as this week’s nuclear test indicated, then for all practical purposes, so does Iran

The White House and President Obama’s supporters insist that he’s making his first trip to Israel next month to assure the Jewish state that if push comes to shove with Iran, he’ll have Israel’s back. But North Korea’s nuclear test Tuesday morning could indicate that it’s already too late for that. If North Korea has the bomb, then for all practical purposes Iran does, too. If that’s so, then Obama’s policy of prevention has failed, and containment—a policy that the president has repeatedly said is not an option—is in fact all Washington has.

If this sounds hyperbolic, consider the history of extensive North Korean-Iranian cooperation on a host of military and defense issues, including ballistic missiles and nuclear development, that dates back to the 1980s. This cooperation includes North Korean sales of technology and arms, like the BM-25, a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching Western Europe; Iran’s Shahab 3 missile is based on North Korea’s Nodong-1 and is able to reach Israel. Iran has a contigent of Iranian weapons engineers and defense officials stationed in North Korea. Meantime, North Korean scientists visit Iran. And last fall, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding regarding scientific, academic, and technological issues.

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My Comment: Iranian - North Korean relations have been close for years .... has this been translated into the exchange of technology .... specifically missile and nuclear technology .... that is a question that is probably keeping policy makers awake at night.

Update: Inspections? Iran May Already Have a Bomb -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

The Iran Connection To North Korea's Missile Launch

Relieved: Kim Jong Un smokes a cigarette at the General Satellite Control and Command Centre after the launch of the Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket carrying the second version of Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite. Daily Mail

What North Korea's Rocket Launch Tells Us About Iran's Role -- NPR

U.S. officials say the satellite put into orbit by North Korea's rocket launch this week is wobbling, but that doesn't necessarily mean the launch itself was unsuccessful.

U.S. analysts say the North Koreans' main goal was not to put a satellite into orbit, but just to see all three stages of their rocket work, to show that the rocket could carry its payload a long distance. That it did. In the last test, in April, the first rocket stages worked as designed, but the third stage failed. Charles Vick, a missile expert at GlobalSecurity.org, credits the North Koreans with learning from their past mistakes.

"They have demonstrated not merely an ability to identify problems, but to resolve those problems and get the total system to work together, all three stages working as a single launch vehicle," he said.

So, the North Koreans are making progress.

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My Comment: Iran is denying any nuclear, missile cooperation with North Korea .... but they were the first to congratulate them.

Iranian Officials Present During north Korea's Rocket Test

Photo: REUTERS

Iranian Officials Observed N. Korea's Rocket Launch: Source -- Yonhap News

Anonymous diplomatic source tells South Korea's state news agency 12 Iranian officials observed the failed missile launch last week in North Korea.

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Yonhap) -- A dozen Iranian officials, responsible for the country's ballistic missile program, visited North Korea last week to observe its latest rocket launch, which ended in failure, a diplomatic source here said Sunday.

"On March 31, 12 Iranians of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG) arrived in North Korea. The Iranians undoubtedly were there to observe the missile launch and receive test data from North Korea," the source told Yonhap News Agency, requesting anonymity.

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More News On Iranian Officials Present During North Korea's Rocket Test

Iranian Nuclear Scientists Were Present At Failed North Korean Missile Launch, Says Source -- Haaretz
'Iranian officials observed North Korean rocket launch' -- Jerusalem Post
Report: Iranians attended N. Korea missile launch -- YNet News
Iran Cozies up to N. Korea, Watches Rocket Launch -- Arutz Sheva
Iranian officials 'observed North Korean rocket launch' -- The Telegraph
Iranian scientist allegedly witnessed N Korean rocket launch -- Voice of Russia
Report: Iranian officials witnessed North Korean rocket launch -- Daily Caller

Did North Korea Test A Nuclear Warhead For Iran?

North Korea Deputy Foreign Minister meets with Iran's Ambassador to North Korea
Photo from IRNA

German Paper: North Korea Tested Nuclear Warhead For Iran -- Omri Ceren, Commentary

Blogger John Galt picks up this story from the Austrian newspaper Wiener Zietung:

North Korea detonated two secret tests of atomic warheads with highly enriched uranium in 2010, according to a German press report. The newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported with reference to western security circles, as some secret services assumed that the government in P’yongyang at least one of these tests had carried out for the Iranians. This would mean that Teheran, with North Korean aid, has constructed and already tested an atomic warhead. According to the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, this assumption is based on data of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

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Update: Iran 'May have Tested Nukes in N. Korea in 2010' -- Arutz Sheva

My Comment: I am skeptical of this report for the simple reason that if there are two countries that are being watched 24/7 for any sign of a nuclear test .... it is these two countries. To hide such a test .... I find that hard to believe.

Hundreds Of North Korean Nuclear Experts Are Working In Iran

North Korean And Iranian officials meeting in North Korea. Photo from Arms Control Wonk

NK Nuclear Experts Working In Iran -- Korea Times

Hundreds of North Korean experts involved in the Stalinist regime’s development of nuclear and missile programs are working in major facilities across Iran, a diplomatic source said Sunday.

“We have confirmed that hundreds of North Korean engineers and scientists have been working at more than 10 nuclear and missile sites in Iran through Humint (human intelligence),” the source said. “The collaboration has been taking place for years.”

North Korea has long been suspected of helping the Islamic state with a secret weapons program.

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Update #1: Source: Hundreds of NK nuclear and missile experts working in Iran -- Korea Times
Update #2: 'Hundreds of N.Koreans' Working at Iran Nuke Facilities -- Chosun Ilbo

My Comment: North Korea wants money, Iran wants the bomb. As to how close do the two countries cooperate .... the above photo is from Arms Control Wonk, and it gives an indication on how close this relationship is.