N. Korea agrees to supply 4 mini-submarines to Iran: source.

SEOUL, July 4 Kyodo

North Korea has agreed to supply four mini-submarines to Iran by mid-July, raising the level of alert in neighboring countries, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.

The agreement was reached when North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il made a visit to Iran in May, the source familiar with relations between Tehran and Pyongyang told Kyodo News.

The arms deal was part of North Korea's repaying debts owed to Iran, amounting to several hundred million dollars, the source said.

Details about the deal such as specific types of the submarines and ways to transport them were not available.

''During the visit of …