In the 21st century, U.S. efforts to limit the development of nuclear weapons have focused specially on Iran and North Korea.
Both countries are members of Bush's "Axis of Evil". The Department of State also considers these countries as "States Sponsors of Terrorism".
North Korea was added to the list for the first time in 1988 for selling arms to terrorist groups and giving asylum to the Japanese Red Army. It is also considered responsible for the Rangoon Attack and Flight 858 of Korean Air. He was removed from the list in 2008 during the George W. Bush administration. In the year 2017 it was added again due to the development of its nuclear and missile program.
Added in 1984, Iran provides financial, material and logistical support to terrorist and militant groups throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. Since 2006, the Persian nation has organized arms shipments to elect the Taliban, including small arms and live ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, rockets and plastic explosives. During the Arab Spring in Syria, Tehran provided widespread support, including weapons, funds and training to help the Bashar al-Assad regime suppress protests. Iran has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Hezbollah in Lebanon and has trained thousands of Hezbollah fighters in camps in Iran. It provided weapons, training and financing to Hamas and other terrorist groups such as Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Iran has collaborated with Hezbollah rearmament, in direct violation of Resolution 1701. In 2011, it was responsible for the attempted assassination of Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States. In 2012 Iran was involved in terrorist attacks in India, Thailand, Georgia and Kenya. Thai police detained Iranian citizens in connection with the explosions in a private residence in Bangkok when they were making bombs for terrorist attacks. The Kenyan authorities detained Iranian citizens who were members of the Revolutionary Guard, who had been found explosives for an alleged terrorist attack.