With the uproar over North Korea’s missile tests, America and its allies are fretting that all the attention could hurt their effort to curb Iran’s suspect nuclear program.

Some diplomats involved in both issues fear international focus is shifting too much to Pyongyang, which test-fired seven missiles Wednesday. The U.N. Security Council is working on a resolution on North Korea as the U.S. and other nations seek ways to engage the regime in talks.

Publicly, senior officials say Washington and other big powers can keep both balls in the air.

But privately, diplomats based in Europe said over the past few days that the North Korean crisis could push talks with Iran further down the international agenda.

Iranian officials, who insist they are wrongly suspected of trying to develop atomic weapons, have said they will not respond before mid-August to an incentives offer extended by six nations seeking to get Iran to stop enriching uranium.

The six countries want an answer by Wednesday.