Trump’s Singapore Mission: Neutralize North Korea From Iran?

by SAZZAD HAIDER

Photo by Matt Brown | CC BY 2.0

US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the Iran nuclear deal is neither unexpected nor insane; his move is very much related to his ‘North Korea peace mission’.  For a decade the US, the number one global player has faced two obstinate, unfathomable but tiny enemies, North Korea and Iran. If the USA is likened to Goliath of the Bible story North Korea or Iran will be embellished as David, who killed Goliath. During the decade, the increased nuclear capability of both Iran and North Korea is a great disgrace to the mighty USA and its allies especially Israel.  Therefore they have sharpened their talons to tear apart their enemies.  But the reality before the USA is stranger than fiction. Iran and North Korea have forged a strategic diplomatic alliance against US led western dominance.  Therefore the US objective is to damage the ties between Iran and North Korea and to avoid a simultaneous offensive against them both. The USA’s objective is to eliminate the weaker of them as a nuclear foe of the western allies.

In October 2006 North Korea officially announced that it had tested a nuclear bomb and entered into the global nuclear club.  Ignoring the US initiated all out economic blockade, North Korea continued to develop its nuclear arsenal, almost certainly including a hydrogen bomb and a missile capable of reaching the United States. However, the UN adopted a lot of US sponsored resolutions to stop the Iranian nuclear program. They wanted to neutralize Iran by diplomatic means and to launch a military offensive against North Korea. But the US failed to get a positive response from Iran until 2015. On 14 July 2015, The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed between the P5+1 States and Iran. But following the signing of treaty, Iran became stronger in both economic and political perspectives. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are worried about the lifting the global embargo on Iran and possible expansion of Iranian influence in the middle-east.

Meanwhile, it seems Iran is pursuing its nuclear ambitions by developing space boosters in cooperation with North Korea. The two nations may also be cooperating on test data exchanges, trading technologies, key components and other elements of updated missile programs as well as nuclear bombs. From the cooperation between Iran and North Korea, both countries seem to be trading solid-fuel-motor technology, cruise missile, anti-missile technology, and other types of warhead data. They also exchange missile transporter-erector launcher and missile-carrier data, as well as deployment, concealment, shelter methods, and technology.

Israel is planning to defuse the North Korean military might as soon as possible to prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb or the manufacturing of high-tech missiles. But a military offensive against North Korea will be very difficult and also risky for Israel.

Another option for Israel is to tarnish North Korea-Iran cooperation. Therefore, US President Donald Trump has changed his position very dramatically from his predecessor Barak Obama on Iran and North Korea. Obama had opened up dialogue with Iran and finally signed an agreement while he was very much rigid with the North Korean leader.  The US President has revised Obama policies and desires to dislodge Iranian military capability and cause a regime change similar to Saddam Hussein of Iraq. He shifted Obama’s policy because Iran has gradually increased its political & military influence on Yemen, Syria and the Lebanon. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are putting pressure on Trump to pull out of a peace deal with Iran and go for a military solution. The western military industries might have fueled ‘thus lucrative solution’ as Saudi Arabia has already spent $56bn this year on its military. Most arms dealers are of US origin. Moreover, the business tycoon President may ask Saudi Arabia to bear all the war costs while going for an offensive against Iran. The US war industries will be flourished more. The US bull of capital market will be leaped up to touch the sky.

Therefore, neutralizing North Korean support for Iran may be an informal but most vital issue to be discussed during the Trump-Kim Summit.  If the US President is able to neutralize North Korea, then he will go up against Iran while Israel and Saudi Arabia will follow.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/06/08/trumps-singapore-mission-neutralize-north-korea-from-iran
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