The Middle East War Fuels North Korea’s Push to Expand Nuclear Arsenal

UNITED NATIONS, April 21 (IPS) – The ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East—involving the US, Israel, Palestine, Iran and Lebanon—have indirectly bolstered North Korea’s plans to expand its nuclear arsenal.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has cited American attacks on Iran as justification for strengthening his country’s military power, arguing that such actions demonstrate the necessity of a nuclear deterrent for regime survival in a world shaped by shifting U.S. Foreign policy.

I don’t see any reason not to get along well with the United States if it withdraws its hostile policy towards us and respects our current (nuclear) status

Kim Jong-un, North Korean leader

This statement, made in a speech last February, reflects North Korea’s longstanding position that its nuclear program serves as an ultimate life insurance policy against external threats, particularly from superpowers attempting forced regime change.

The current Mideast war, he told North Korea’s parliament, proves that “the true guarantee of a state’s existence” is a nuclear deterrent — and he vowed to expand it.”

Kim Jong-un, North Korean leader

Former Canadian diplomat James Trottier, who led four official missions to Pyongyang, noted that watching U.S. Attempts at forced regime change in Iran—and previously in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan—reinforces North Korea’s belief that nuclear weapons are essential for survival.

Recent weapons tests conducted by North Korea have included missiles carrying cluster munition and graphite bomb payloads, similar to those observed in Middle East conflicts, indicating that Pyongyang is actively studying battlefield developments to refine its own arsenal.

According to a New York Times article referenced in the report, these tests signal North Korea’s effort to draw lessons from ongoing wars in the region, particularly in how modern munitions are deployed and integrated into broader military strategy.

Despite expressing openness to dialogue with the United States, Kim Jong-un has insisted that any meeting would require Washington to formally recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, a condition he believes would have altered the fate of leaders in Iraq and Libya had they possessed similar deterrents.

Trump met with the North Korean leader three times during his first term in office (2017–2021), including summits in Singapore (June 2018) and Hanoi (February 2019), followed by a brief meeting at the DMZ (June 2019), where Trump became the first sitting U.S. President to enter North Korea.

As of April 21, 2026, North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities amid regional instability, with its leadership framing expansion as a direct response to perceived U.S. Aggression and a means of securing national sovereignty.