UANI Releases Updated Report on Illicit Ties Between Iran and North Korea

(New York, NY) – As the 2019 Hanoi Summit between the United States and North Korea begins, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is releasing an updated report on the illicit Iran-North Korea nuclear and missile pipeline, Iran & North Korea—Nuclear Proliferation Partners.

The report details the North Korean origin of Iran’s missile programs. For instance, Tehran began to acquire ballistic missiles from Pyongyang in the 1980s, when it purchased 300 km-range Scud-B missiles (Shahab-1) during the Iran-Iraq War. Estimates indicate that by 1987, North Korea and China were supplying roughly 70 percent of Iranian arms. In May 2017, Iran conducted a failed cruise missile test launch from a Ghadir-class “midget” submarine in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian submarine’s design closely mirrored that of North Korea’s Yono-class, prompting speculation that the Tehran-Pyongyang pipeline is alive and well. Fast-forward to 2019, and the relationship remains ongoing. Iran allegedly successfully tested a cruise missile this past weekend from one of its Ghadir-class submarines.

On the nuclear issue, to date, the U.S. has not officially confirmed nuclear collaboration between Iran and the DPRK.  But there are worrying signs — according to then-Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), intelligence provided to the International Atomic Energy Agency indicates that “North Korea transferred ‘crucial technology’ to Iran including mathematical formulas and codes for nuclear warhead design.”

The UANI report concludes with actionable recommendations, including: Advancing legislation targeting the Iranian-North Korean illicit pipeline; how to prevent a North Korean pathway to an Iranian bomb; the need to disrupt procurement networks; and the importance of imposing secondary sanctions on Chinese banks.

To explore the UANI report: Iran & North Korea—Nuclear Proliferation Partners, please click here.

To view a new op-ed by UANI Senior Advisor and former Senator Mark Kirk published in the Chicago Tribune, please click here.