Relationship dossier
Iraq
North Korea
Relationship assessment
A wartime rupture shaped by North Korean arms support for Iraq’s adversary
Iraq toward North Korea
-15Iraq severed diplomatic relations with North Korea during the Iran–Iraq War, protesting North Korean arms support for Iran.
North Korea toward Iraq
-20North Korea supplied arms to Iran during the Iran–Iraq War, strengthening Iraq’s wartime adversary and prompting an Iraqi diplomatic rupture.
Overall relationship
-15The relationship has been shaped chiefly by the Iran–Iraq War: North Korean arms support for Iran contributed to Iraq’s decision to sever diplomatic relations. Substantive bilateral cooperation beyond this episode is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Iraq and North Korea experienced a significant rupture during the Iran–Iraq War, when Iraq severed diplomatic relations in response to North Korean arms support for Iran. The relationship has had limited substantive cooperation, and its later diplomatic course is unclear.
Areas of tension
- North Korean arms support for Iran during the Iran–Iraq War led to an Iraqi diplomatic protest and rupture.
Key developments
Iraq severed diplomatic relations with North Korea in response to North Korean arms support for Iran during the Iran–Iraq War.
Major uncertainties
- The timing and scope of any subsequent restoration of diplomatic relations are unclear.
- Details of postwar government cooperation and the current status of bilateral arrangements are limited.