North Korea Says Nuclear Arsenal Averted Iran-Like Fate After Leader's Killing
Updated
Updated · NPR · May 18
North Korea Says Nuclear Arsenal Averted Iran-Like Fate After Leader's Killing
6 articles · Updated · NPR · May 18
North Korea said its nuclear weapons spared it an Iran-like outcome, framing the reported killing of Iran's leader as proof Kim Jong Un was right not to abandon the program.
Kim's view reflects a long-running U.S. push for both Iran and North Korea to give up their nuclear ambitions, a demand Pyongyang has consistently rejected.
The episode reinforces North Korea's core argument that its arsenal is a survival guarantee, making any future denuclearization push even harder.
By striking a non-nuclear Iran, has the U.S. accidentally made North Korea’s nuclear arsenal permanent?
After seeing Iran's fate, will its next leaders now race to build the bomb that Khamenei never did?