North Korea’s “No. 2” official embarked on a 10-day trip to Iran that may hint at wider military ties between the two rogue regimes.
Amid new international sanctions, North Korea ‘s “No. 2” official embarked on a 10-day visit to Iran, a move 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.
“There could be very problematic cooperation going on because of the past history and because it makes strategic sense, especially for Iran now, ” said Emily Landau, a senior research fellow at the Israeli-based Institute for National Security Studies and head of the Arms Control and Regional Security Program. INSS is an independent think tank affiliated with Tel Aviv University.
Kim Yong Nam’s visit coincided with a move by the United Nations Security Council to slap sanctions that bar exports of North Korean coal, lead, iron ore and seafood. The new restrictions could slash the hermit regime’s roughly $3 billion annual export revenue by one third.
The U. S.-sponsored resolution, which passed unanimously, followed the North’s second intercontinental ballistic missile launch last month. It also curbs the number of North Korean laborers working abroad and clamps down on new economic joint ventures with Pyongyang.
President Donald Trump cheered to U. N.’s action in tweets Saturday, describing it as “the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea” and noting “China and Russia voted with us.”
The new sanctions have been proposed for some time by Washington, and pressure was applied on China, North Korea’s longtime ally and its largest trading partner, to go ahead with them. Once the U. S. obtained Beijing’s approval on the new resolution, it began negotiating with other nations part of the 15-member U. N. Security Council.
In comments after his swearing-in ceremony Saturday, Iran’s Rouhani said, “The sanctions policy in today’s world is a failed and fruitless policy, ” according to a report from Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.
