Iran strikes fallout: will North Korea now treat US nuclear talks as a ‘trap’?
Pyongyang is likely to double down on its nuclear deterrence following the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, analysts say
“Having seen US bombers target Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, North Korea may see premature talks as a trap – just another excuse for Washington to accuse it of insincerity and justify a strike,” Hong Min, senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), told This Week in Asia.
“Denuclearisation appears to be off the table for good. What the North might consider is arms control negotiations, under the condition that it is accepted as a nuclear state.”
North Korea is likely to lean more on its nuclear deterrent while drawing closer to Moscow, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor specialising in North Korean studies at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
“North Korea will likely focus on easing sanctions pressure by bolstering its strategic partnership with Russia, all while enhancing its nuclear and missile capabilities,” Lim said. “At the same time, it will continue to carefully monitor US intentions.”
Victor Cha, president of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) geopolitics and foreign policy department, said the attacks on Iran might have reinforced North Korea’s belief that nuclear armament was the correct path.