Iranian Ballistic Missile with North Korean Technology Lands in Israel during Media Tour: What Does This Mean for Global Security?

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 South Korea’s spy agency announced on Wednesday that it is closely monitoring whether North Korean weapons technology was used in the ballistic missiles launched by Iran against Israel last week.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated, “We 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 North Korea and Iran.” 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.