North Korea pulls back from Iran, seeks US talks
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- North Korea has not sent weapons or supplies to Iran since the US‑Israeli war on Iran began at the end of February, according to the South Korean National Intelligence Service.
- South Korean National Intelligence Service says Pyongyang is deliberately distancing from Iran to position itself for new diplomatic talks with the United States.
- North Korea's Foreign Ministry has issued only two muted statements on the US‑Israeli attacks on Iran, while China and Russia have issued frequent statements.
- North Korea condemned the US and Israeli attacks on Iran as illegal but refrained from offering condolences after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death or congratulating Mojtaba Khamenei’s succession.
- Kim Jong Un is reportedly grooming his teenage daughter, Ju Ae (about 13), as his successor, highlighted by a public tank‑driving display.
- Kim Yo Jong welcomed President Lee Jae Myung’s apology over a January drone incursion, and Lee expressed regret for the incident.
Why it matters: South Korea and the United States gain a possible diplomatic opening as North Korea distances itself from Iran, while Iran loses a longstanding weapons supplier and sees its regional backing shrink amid the US‑Israeli conflict.
