SAN ANGELO, TX - Dr. Bruce Bechtol Jr. and Dr. Anthony Celso of the Angelo State University global security studies faculty recently published their first collaborative book, titled "Rogue Allies: The Strategic Partnership Between Iran and North Korea," through the University Press of Kentucky.
"Rogue Allies" examines the influence of two rogue states whose defiance of the U.S. and U.S.-backed countries has serious consequences for international relations. Iran and North Korea have profited from illegal activities, such as the arming of terrorist organizations, in attempts to disrupt peace efforts in the Middle East and East Asia and to destabilize the rules-based order of the world. Bechtol and Celso uncover the origins of this decades-long alliance, consider elements that these two nation-states have in common, and explain how their relationship undermines neighboring regions. The authors draw from revealing interviews with Iranian and North Korean defectors, as well as firsthand accounts from other sources, providing crucial additions to this body of research.
Dr. Anthony Celso (far left) and Dr. Bruce Bechtol (second from left) presenting their new book to the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea in Washington, D.C.
While some scholars have compared and contrasted Iran and North Korea, few have delved into how this partnership works to achieve its far-reaching impact. By assessing key aspects of the Iran-North Korea nexus - including military, ideological, economic and environmental forces - "Rogue Allies" investigates the link between two volatile states and the ensuing implications for global security.
Bechtol is a professor of political science and Celso is a professor of security studies in ASU's Department of Security Studies and Criminal Justice. Their new book is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, University Press of Kentucky and other online booksellers.
Also a retired U.S. Marine and former intelligence officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency, Bechtol is an internationally known authority on North Korean military and political issues. An ASU faculty member since 2010, he has published seven previous books:
- "North Korean Military Proliferation in the Middle East and Africa" (2018)
- "North Korea and Regional Security in the Kim Jong-un Era" (2014)
- "The Last Days of Kim Jong-il: The North Korean Threat in a Changing Era" (2013)
- "Confronting Security Challenges on the Korean Peninsula" (2012)
- "Defiant Failed State: The North Korean Threat to National Security" (2010)
- "The Quest for a Unified Korea: Strategies for the Cultural and Interagency Process" (2007)
- "Red Rogue: The Persistent Challenge of North Korea" (2007)
Celso is a specialist in Islamic terrorism and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern politics. An ASU faculty member since 2011, he has published three previous books:
- "The Islamic State: A Comparative History of Jihadist Warfare" (2018)
- "The Crisis of the African State in the 21st Century: Globalization, Tribalism and Jihadism Unbound" (2016)
- "Al Qaeda's Post 9-11 Devolution: The Failed Jihadist Struggle Against the Near and Far Enemy" (2014)
Both Bechtol and Celso have also received the Texas Tech University System Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Award. Bechtol holds a Ph.D. in national security studies from the Union Institute, and Celso holds a Ph.D. in comparative public policy from Ohio State University.
!["Rogue Allies" front cover](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait34_900x1200/public/2025-07/bechtolcelsobook.jpg?itok=xBTQa3uc ""Rogue Allies" front cover")
"Rogue Allies" front cover
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