Japan, Australia Warn of Asia Security Vacuum With Focus on Iran

North Korea’s latest missile launch highlights the security challenges existing in the Indo-Pacific region as the world focuses on the tensions in the Middle East, according to the defense ministers of Japan and Australia.

“The missile launch today of North Korea is a reminder of the challenges that we face in the Indo-Pacific,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said after a meeting in Tokyo with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi that also touched on a deal to buy naval frigates from Japan.