May 17, 2018
President Trump’s Strategy and Style Better for North Korea Than Iran
American presidents have long found double-trouble in managing Iran and North Korea. The two countries are separated by four thousand miles and starkly different histories, but they share similarly antagonistic relationships with the United States, made only more tense by nuclear threats. For U.S. decisionmakers, North Korea and Iran pose the same broad foreign-policy challenge: how to manage down the risks with acceptable concessions.
In the span of a month, President Donald Trump faces crucial opportunities to respond to this challenge with both countries, first in his Iran nuclear-deal decision earlier this month and then in his meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un on June 12. So far, Trump’s penchant for throwing away convention shows promise for one of these cases (North Korea) but portends disaster for the other (Iran).
Trump explicitly connected his recent decision to pull out of the Iran deal to his upcoming meeting with Kim. Exiting the “disastrous” Iran deal, Trumpdeclared at the White House, “sends a critical message”—that “the United States no longer makes empty threats.” Trump was quick to add that the decision also spoke to his own character: “When I make promises, I keep them,” he said. “In fact, at this very moment, Secretary Pompeo is on his way to North Korea in preparation for my upcoming meeting with Kim Jong-un. . . . Hopefully, a deal will happen, and with the help of China, South Korea, and Japan, a future of great prosperity and security can be achieved for everyone.
Read the Full Article at The National Interest
More from CNAS
-
North Korea Launches Hypersonic Missiles in Show of Force as President Lee Visits China
Video
North Korea is once again raising the stakes. The regime claims it has successfully test-fired a new hypersonic missile — with Kim Jong-un personally overseeing the launch. Th...
By Dr. Go Myong-Hyun
-
Trump’s Audacious Success
Commentary
This article was originally published in The Atlantic. Nicolás Maduro and his wife awoke yesterday in a safe house on a heavily fortified military base in the center of Caraca...
By Richard Fontaine
-
North Korea and Russia’s Deepening Axis
Video
2025 was the year North Korea turned a corner, not just through provocations, but by actively repositioning itself in the global power game. Its military partnership with Russ...
By Dr. Go Myong-Hyun
-
CNAS Insights | Eight Things to Watch for in 2026
Commentary
Buckle up for a pivotal geopolitical year. In 2026, the world will struggle to make sense of U.S. actions and intentions, and Washington will remain uncertain about its own pl...
By Richard Fontaine
