38 North: Iran’s Missile Test: Getting the Facts Straight on North Korea’s Cooperation
On January 29, Iran tested a new ballistic missile it dubbed the Khorramshahr, which reportedly flew a distance of about 1,000 kilometers. Little is known about the missile, though some have speculated that it relies on a liquid-fueled engine originally developed by the Isayev Design Bureau for the Soviet R-27 submarine-launched ballistic missile. If so, this could make it a variant of the North Korean Musudan (KN-10), an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that uses the same engine and that Pyongyang began flight testing in 2016. The ramifications of such a connection would be significant, not only because it would signify ongoing close Iranian-North Korean missile cooperation, but also because such an engine would be a foundation for Iran to develop a viable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). However, contrary to some assertions, the available evidence cannot verify speculation that the Iranian missile is similar to North Korea’s Musudan, or reports that Pyongyang exported R-27 engines to Iran.[1]
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Update #1: Pentagon: Iran Tested a Ballistic Missile With North Korean Origins (Popular Mechanics)
Update #2: Iran's New Missile That Has Donald Trump Steaming Mad: Born in North Korea? (Dave Majumdar, National Interest)
WNU Editor: There is a lot of conflicting information on what is North Korea's role in Iran's missile program. But there are military ties between Iran and North Korea (see the above above), and one can only speculate that they are cooperating on their "shared interests".
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