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North Korea exports missiles to Iran by air: Report
Seoul, June 16: North Korea has shipped missiles to Iran aboard cargo planes ever since a weapons-laden ship was intercepted en route to Yemen in December, a South Korean newspaper said today.
Seoul, June 16: North Korea has shipped missiles to Iran aboard cargo planes ever since a weapons-laden ship was intercepted en route to Yemen in December, a South Korean newspaper said today.
The United States has spotted Iran's IL-76 cargo aircraft
leaving North Korea's Sunan airport on six occasions since
April, the Joongang newspaper said, quoting US and South
Korean intelligence sources.
Until last year, Iranian airplanes visited North Korea about twice a year at most, the daily said.
"The Iranian cargo planes that took off from Sunan airport flew over China and central Asian countries," an intelligence source was quoted as saying.
Although the cargo was in containers, intelligence officials have concluded that the payload was disassembled Rodong missiles, the same as were sold to Pakistan in 1998, Joongang said.
The Rodong missile has a range of 1,300 kilometers. Iran has been widely believed to have used North Korean technology in developing a medium-range ballistic missile test-fired in 1998.
Iran and North Korea were included last year in an "axis of evil" with Iraq by US President George W. Bush, bent on spreading weapons of mass destruction.
Meanwhile, five Japanese were arrested last week on suspicion of illegally exporting missile-linked equipment to Iran.
Bureau Report
Until last year, Iranian airplanes visited North Korea about twice a year at most, the daily said.
"The Iranian cargo planes that took off from Sunan airport flew over China and central Asian countries," an intelligence source was quoted as saying.
Although the cargo was in containers, intelligence officials have concluded that the payload was disassembled Rodong missiles, the same as were sold to Pakistan in 1998, Joongang said.
The Rodong missile has a range of 1,300 kilometers. Iran has been widely believed to have used North Korean technology in developing a medium-range ballistic missile test-fired in 1998.
Iran and North Korea were included last year in an "axis of evil" with Iraq by US President George W. Bush, bent on spreading weapons of mass destruction.
Meanwhile, five Japanese were arrested last week on suspicion of illegally exporting missile-linked equipment to Iran.
Bureau Report