Impact of Iran Conflict for Korean Peninsula | The Capital Cable #131

What is the impact of the conflict in Iran for Korea? How about the movement of assets off the Korean Peninsula? What does that mean for our force posture, extended deterrence, and North Korea? And what about potential South Korean involvement in the conflict?

Joining Mark Lippert and Sydney Seiler to discuss this and more are Gen. (retired) Curtis M. Scaparrotti and Amb. Daniel A. Shapiro.

General (Retired) Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti completed a distinguished 41-year career in the United States Army, culminating as Commander, US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO, where he led Alliance security and stability efforts across 29 member nations. His prior commands include Commander, US Forces Korea/United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command; Commander, International Security Assistance Force; Deputy Commander, US Forces–Afghanistan; Commanding General of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord; and Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. At the strategic level, he served as Director of the Joint Staff and Director of Operations at US Central Command, and earlier as the 69th Commandant of Cadets at West Point. General Scaparrotti commanded forces across multiple major operations, including Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Joint Endeavor, and his decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star, among others. He is a graduate of the US Military Academy and holds a master's degree in Administrative Education from the University of South Carolina. He currently serves as Senior Counselor at The Cohen Group, a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council, a Trustee of The German Marshall Fund, and a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University, among other advisory roles.

Daniel B. Shapiro is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. From 2022 to 2023, he was the Director of the N7 Initiative. In his most recent government service, Shapiro was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East from 2024 to 2025, and prior to that was Senior Adviser on Regional Integration in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He is a former US ambassador to Israel, having served in that role from 2011 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, he worked as senior director for the Middle East and North Africa on the National Security Council at the White House, following his role as senior policy adviser in Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

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