North Korea on Wednesday said it respects Iran’s decision to appoint a new supreme leader, while accusing the United States and Israel of undermining peace and stability in the Middle East.
State media reported that an unnamed spokesperson for North Korean Foreign Ministry said Pyongyang supports the Iranian people’s right to choose their leader. The remarks followed Tehran’s announcement that Mojtaba Khamenei had been selected to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on February 28.
The statement, carried by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), also accused Washington and Tel Aviv of destroying “regional peace and security foundations” and escalating global instability. According to the spokesperson, the United States and Israel were attempting to violate Iran’s political system and territorial integrity while seeking to overthrow its social order.
The comments come amid longstanding tensions between Pyongyang and Washington over North Korea’s nuclear programme. For decades, the United States has led international efforts to curb the North’s nuclear ambitions through sanctions and diplomatic pressure, though progress has remained limited.
The administration of Donald Trump has recently sought to revive high-level dialogue with Pyongyang, including the possibility of another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. During a trip to Asia in October, Trump said he was “100 percent” open to meeting Kim again, although the North did not immediately respond.
Kim later indicated that relations between the two countries could improve if Washington acknowledged Pyongyang’s nuclear status.
Meanwhile, KCNA reported that Kim supervised another test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the naval destroyer Choe Hyon destroyer. The test followed a similar launch from the vessel last week, which Pyongyang said was part of efforts to equip its navy with nuclear-capable weapons.
Kim reportedly emphasized the need to expand a “powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent.” Images released by state media showed him observing the launch via video link alongside his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who is widely seen as a potential successor.
According to National Intelligence Service, Pyongyang appears to be gradually preparing Ju Ae for a future leadership role, as she has increasingly accompanied her father at official events.
The missile test coincided with the start of the annual joint military exercise, Freedom Shield, conducted by the United States and South Korea. Pyongyang has condemned the drills, warning they could lead to “unimaginably terrible consequences.”
Analysts say North Korea may be using the drills and the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding the conflict involving Iran to justify strengthening its military capabilities.
Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies, said Pyongyang appears to be seeking legitimacy for expanding its deterrence strategy. According to him, North Korea portrays the joint US-South Korea drills not as routine defensive exercises but as potential preparations for a preemptive strike.
