US Admiral Says North Korea's Missile Threat Bigger Than That of Iran

North Korea poses a more severe ballistic missile threat to the United States than Iran, US Missile Defense Agency Director Vice Adm. James Syring said in a congressional testimony.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Syring explained the tremendous difference in threat levels has come as a result of the amount of testing in North Korea, both in terms of range and capability, to Iran over the last six to eight months.

"I have to be very careful here [but] I would put in perspective, first, the threat piece of Iran versus North Korea," Syring told the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. "It's night and day."

The Missile Defense Agency director noted that US missile defense priorities focusing on the North Korea threat have been "exactly right."

The South Korean military reported that North Korea fired several ground-to-ship missiles from Wonsan, Gangwon Province, early Thursday morning.

This would be the fourth missile test by the North in a month. Pyongyang has test-fired several ballistic missiles this year as part of its bid to develop a capacity to deliver a nuclear warhead to the US mainland. US Defense Secretary Jim said last weekend the regime's nuclear arms pursuit had picked up the pace in the past few months.