Secretary of State Marco Rubio is drawing a sharp line between two of America's biggest adversaries. Speaking at the Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention in Washington on November 13, Rubio said Kim Jong Un is not interested in conquering Japan and simply wants his regime to survive. He said Kim is not expansionist and has no plans to invade Japan or China, while stressing that he was not excusing the terrible things that have happened in North Korea. Iran, he argued, is a different story: its leaders are expansionist revolutionaries, and he pointed to the Islamic Republic's founding documents as describing the supreme leader as a leader beyond Iran's borders. Rubio then asked what would happen if Iran ever got a nuclear weapon.

The remarks come as the U.S. and Israel wage war against Iran, which Rubio said is aimed at making sure Tehran can never develop a nuclear weapon. The speech was also his first prepared address since Republicans lost heavily in the November 3 midterms, which has added to speculation about a 2028 presidential run that he has denied. His description of Kim drew criticism, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom mocking it. Whether the distinction between the two governments holds up is likely to be debated for some time.