Iran-Israel Missile Clash: Did North Korean Technology Play a Role?

On April 16, a member of the Israeli military stood alongside an Iranian ballistic missile that landed in Israel during a media tour at the Julis military base near Kiryat Malachi. This came after Iran fired over 300 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, leading some experts to speculate that North Korean parts or military technology may have been involved in Iran’s missile attacks.

South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), has announced that it is closely monitoring whether North Korea’s weapons technology was utilized in the ballistic missiles launched by Iran against Israel last week. The NIS stated that they are keeping track of whether North Korean technology played a role in Iran’s ballistic missiles fired at Israel, given the historical missile collaboration between Pyongyang and Tehran.

Pyongyang and Tehran have had close ties since establishing diplomatic relations in 1973, especially while facing international sanctions for their weapons programs. Both countries have been suspected of trading missile parts and technology, particularly during the Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988. In 2006, the chief commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards admitted that his country had acquired Scud-B and Scud-C missiles from North Korea during the war, but mentioned that Iran no longer relies on Pyongyang for assistance. A report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency in 2019 revealed that Iran’s Shahab-3 ballistic missiles were developed based on North Korea’s Rodong missiles. The Khorramshahr missile developed by Iran is also believed to be technically connected to North Korea’s Musudan missiles.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed deep concerns on Tuesday regarding the long-presumed military collaboration between North Korea and Iran. In January, the NIS confirmed suspicions that North Korean-made weapons were being used by the Hamas militant group in its conflict with Israel, despite denials from Pyongyang regarding arms transactions.