Defense & Security

U.S. options are limited. Iran has done such harassment in the past, and the U.S. Navy has a set of procedures to handle it — so making a big issue of it may be a surprise to Tehran.... The United States could sink some ships or take a similar military response, but this would achieve little.

Kim Jong Un’s poor health and premature death was always a wild card in potential North Korea scenarios. At 36, Kim is obese and has a family history of heart disease. His reported ill health since summer might explain why his sister has been issuing statements in her own name in recent weeks.