North Korea has expressed its support for Iran’s recent appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader. This endorsement comes in the wake of the U.S. and Israel’s military actions against Iran, which North Korea has condemned as unlawful. The announcement was made by a spokesperson from North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The spokesperson emphasized that North Korea respects the decision made by the Iranian Assembly of Experts, which elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The elder Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack at the beginning of the ongoing conflict on February 28. The North Korean official stated, “We respect the right and choice of the Iranian people to elect their Supreme Leader.”
In addition to supporting Iran’s leadership transition, the North Korean spokesperson condemned the military actions by the U.S. and Israel, describing them as aggressive and detrimental to regional peace and security. The spokesperson voiced concern that such actions undermine the political system and territorial integrity of Iran, calling for global condemnation of these attacks.
The remarks from North Korea follow the escalation of hostilities in the region, which has seen increased tensions since the onset of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. North Korea has previously characterized the actions of the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East as “gangster-like conduct.”
In a related development, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been overseeing military activities, including the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the country’s latest naval destroyer. This military posturing underscores North Korea’s focus on maintaining and expanding its nuclear deterrent capabilities amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
