Iran Will Now Copy North Korea's Nuke Strategy—Top Intel Democrat Fears

Newsweek

5 hours ago

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Military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites will prompt Tehran to pursue its atomic ambitions in secret, much like the way North Korea operates its program, Representative Jim Himes has said.
The Connecticut Democrat and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told MSNBC how he was worried the attack on Iranian nuclear sites would force Tehran to give up diplomacy and end any chances of transparency over its nuclear program.
A news broadcast on a screen at a railway station in Seoul on February 9, 2023, shows a North Korean military parade held in Pyongyang to mark the 75th founding anniversary of its armed forces.
A news broadcast on a screen at a railway station in Seoul on February 9, 2023, shows a North Korean military parade held in Pyongyang to mark the 75th founding anniversary of its armed forces.
JUNG YEON-JE/Getty Images
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has boasted that U.S. strikes had destroyed Iran's ability to develop a nuclear bomb, but early intelligence reports cited by CNN and The New York Times have raised doubts about the operation's effectiveness.
The comments from Himes echo concerns that if Iran's nuclear program is not fully incapacitated, Tehran will pursue its program in secret, away from the eyes of the West, which could pose a bigger long-term security risk.
What To Know
Himes is a Democrat among the so-called "Gang of Eight" leaders within Congress who are briefed on classified intelligence matters.
In his interview on MSNBC, he told host Jen Psaki that from Iran's perspective, the diplomatic route over its nuclear program did not work, given that in 2018, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had slowed Tehran's progress toward a nuclear weapon.
Then, when negotiations took place earlier this month, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which Tehran would take as proof that diplomacy did not work, Himes said.
The congressman added that Iran might view its only alternative as taking a leaf out of North Korea's book and developing a bomb in secret, wary of what has happened to the countries that gave up their nuclear weapons, like Ukraine and Libya.
This image from April 15, 2021, shows Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) during a House Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
This image from April 15, 2021, shows Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) during a House Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.Himes also said his worry was not over a military attack on U.S. naval assets in the Middle East, but rather that Tehran would lie low for several months and develop a nuclear weapon in secret.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in October 2024 that military strikes on Iran risked Tehran driving its nuclear development program further underground.
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association (ACA) has said that U.S. strikes may temporarily set back Iran's nuclear program, but would likely prove such weapons are needed for deterrence and that Washington is not interested in diplomacy.
National Iranian American Council (NIAC) President Jamal Abdi said in a statement to Newsweek that significant questions remain about key components of Iran's nuclear program, and where it goes from here.
What People Are Saying
Rep. Jim Himes, Connecticut Democrat and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, on MSNBC: "My worry is not that there's going to be a military attack on our naval assets in Bahrain or on our airfield in Qatar. My worry is that the Iranians....are going to do exactly what North Korea does.
"[Iran's] alternative is to look at North Korea, which developed a bomb in secret," he added.
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association (ACA) in a statement: "Military strikes alone cannot destroy Iran's extensive nuclear knowledge."
What Happens Next
Pending a full damage report, the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities will remain the subject of speculation. Meanwhile, questions remain over the Islamic Republic's stockpile of enriched uranium, whose whereabouts are unknown, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi.