Tehran Lends Pyongyang a Helping Hand

Spiegel:

It may not be an axis of evil, but under the old truism that my enemy's enemy is my friend, Tehran is making overtures to Pyongyang in an attempt to share a bit of nuclear knowledge, as well as the burden of the West's animosity. According to information SPIEGEL has obtained from western intelligence sources, the Iranian government is said to have offered North Korea an economic aid package in exchange for continuing to cooperate on the development of nuclear-tipped missiles. READ MORE

A high-ranking Iranian emissary is reported to have traveled to Pyongyang in October to offer the North Korean regime massive oil and gas supplies. The extreme energy shortages in North Korea had forced the regime to consider giving in to US pressure to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Earlier this month, negotiations between North and South Korea, the US, Russia, China and Japan had addressed the possibility that North Korea may give up its nuclear ambitions in exchange for energy assistance and other benefits. However, the offer from Tehran would give Kim Jong II the breathing room to negotiate better conditions to the deal. Tehran has a double interest in sabotaging any detente between the North Koreans and Washington. While North Korean Nodong missiles are based on the design of Iran's Shabab-3 ballistic missiles, making Pyongyang an important partner for Tehran, Iran also fears that if North Korea were to give up its position as the great nuclear foe, the pressure from Washington, the EU and the UN would be even more focused on Iran's nuclear program. It is uncertain how North Korea will react to the offer from Tehran.

What is also unclear is how Iran will react to the compromise solution, proposed by Russia, that it continue to convert uranium ore itself into "yellow cake" and then into a gas ready for the enrichment process. The actual enrichment would then be carried out in Russia, monitored by international observers. Although talks are due to take place on Dec. 6 in Vienna, Great Britain, France and Germany are only prepared to negotiate with Iran once it has agreed in principle to this solution.