North Korean silence on Iran signals openness to US talks: Seoul’s spy agency

North Korea appears to be distancing itself from long-time partner Iran and carefully managing its public messaging to preserve the possibility of a new relationship with the US after the Iran war, South Korean lawmakers have said, citing the spy agency.

Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said North ‌Korea had not sent weapons or supplies so far to Iran since the conflict started on February 28, and did not issue public condolences upon the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in air strikes, said lawmaker Park Sun-won who attended a closed-door briefing held by the NIS on Monday.

Pyongyang also sent no congratulatory message when Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was selected as the new supreme leader, Park said, citing the NIS.

While China and Russia had frequently issued statements on the conflict, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry had only issued two toned-down statements so far, consistent, the NIS said, with Pyongyang’s recent tendency to avoid direct criticism of US President Donald Trump.

The NIS assessed this restraint as preparation to secure new diplomatic space after an anticipated May summit ‌between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump, the lawmaker said.