North Korea has sent an economic delegation to Iran, according to North Korean state media.

The North’s state Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Wednesday that the delegation led by external economic relations minister Yun Jong-ho departed Pyongyang the previous day heading to Iran. 

The report did not elaborate further on the trip, but it is very rare for a high-ranking North Korean official to visit the Middle East nation. 

The previous such visit was in 2019 when Pak Chol-min, then North Korean vice chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, visited Iran to discuss bilateral cooperation.

North Korea and Iran, traditional allies against the United States, have long been suspected of cooperating on ballistic missile and nuclear programs. 

The trip raises speculations that the two nations, both supportive of Russia’s war against Ukraine, may deepen their military cooperation.