Iran and North Korea unlikely to try and attack U.S. in space
The dictates of asymmetric warfare suggest that while rudimentary forms of space related initiatives by Tehran and Pyongyang cannot be ruled out in the future, it is more likely that they would seek to produce casualties on the ground rather than to try to damage inanimate objects in space. The proximity of forward-deployed U.S. forces, as well as America's allies and friends, provides a ''target-rich'' environment for asymmetric attacks. Covert attacks against the U.S. homeland by various means would also seem to be more likely than easily attributable attacks against U.S. satellites. Seoul is within artillery range of North Korea's ground forces, and North Korean ballistic missiles can target U.S. bases in South Korea and Japan. Iran has already acquired missiles of sufficient range to target Israel and Turkey and appears intent on developing missiles of sufficient range to reach Western Europe. Even so, Iran's most troubling
weapon against U.S. forces and national interests is not ballistic missiles, but rather its ability to support insurgents and attacks by proxy forces against U.S. troops, friends, and allies in nearby countries.
Katz-Hyman, Michael and Michael Krepon. "Viewpoint: Space Weapons and Proliferation." Non Proliferation Review. Vol. 12, No. 2 (July 2005): 323-341. [ 15 quotes ]
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