Iran stationed military officials in North Korea last October, apparently to strengthen missile and nuclear cooperation between Tehran and Pyongyang, according to reports in Japanese media. The Kim regime is in the midst of a violent purge that began inside government and party institutions, and which as of last week extended to targeting “dissidents” in the North Korean population. The regime has also declared that it will launch a long-range missile later this month, an announcement that has put U.S. allies in the region on alert. Continuing close cooperation between North Korea and Iran, especially as the Kim regime commits human rights abuses internally and destabilizes the region externally, may undermine the case inside Western capitals for engagement with Tehran.

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