Iranian scientists may have been on hand to witness North Korea’s underground nuclear test, according to one Western diplomat.
The source, unnamed but described as having knowledge of inside Iran-North Korea talks and ties, according to United Press International, said an Iranian presence would mean the international community is likely right — that Iran is actively and aggressively pursuing development of nuclear weapons.
According to UPI, the source said that Iran may have paid Pyongyang tens of millions of dollars — in Chinese currency — to obtain access to the test. The Jerusalem Post, too, reported on suspicions of Iran’s presence at the Tuesday test.
“The most disturbing question is whether the Iranians are using North Korea as a back-door plan for their own nuclear program,” Alon Levkowitz, a coordinator of Bar-Ilan University’s Asian Studies Program, said in the Post report. “The Iranians didn’t carry out a nuclear test in Iran, but they may have done so in North Korea.”
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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