The launch was proof that arming ships with nuclear weapons was “making satisfactory progress,” he said. However, the test, and Kim’s mildly upbeat appraisal, were designed to reverberate well beyond the deck of the 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel the Choe Hyon — the biggest warship in the North Korean fleet. North Korea is several years into a nuclear weapons program that has gathered momentum despite UN sanctions and Trump’s attempts to use diplomacy to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ response to the war in Iran has been nuanced. That leaves the door open to a potential resumption of nuclear talks, contingent on Washington dropping its demand that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons and accepting it as a legitimate nuclear state.

Source: Taipei Times March 10, 2026 16:01 UTC