Bruce E. Bechtol
National Interest, May 13, 2024
“Why is North Korea’s clear contribution to Iran’s capability to attack Israel not receiving more attention?”
Iran last month launched a large-scale overnight air strike on Israel. More than 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles targeted the country.
While the attack was quite large, it was also ineffective. According to spokespersons for the U.S. and Israeli militaries, 99% of the projectiles launched at Israel failed to make it through.
Israeli and American missile defense worked very effectively, along with support from other allies, including Jordan.
From North Korea to Iran
Israel’s system of ballistic missile defense may be the best in the world. But of the roughly 120 ballistic missiles that Iran used, about 50% either failed to launch or crashed in flight.
Only half of Iran’s ballistic missiles flew the way they were supposed to, thus showing these systems are anything but well made. But where did the Iranians get the technology to assemble these long-range ballistic missile systems, however well or poorly they fared? The answer is, unquestionably, North Korea.
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