North Korea has expressed support for the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader of Iran, while condemning what it described as the “illegal” military attack by the United States and Israel that killed Iran’s previous leader. A spokesperson for North Korea’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Pyongyang respected Tehran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ali Khamenei.“Regarding the recent official announcement that the Iranian Assembly of Experts has elected a new leader of the Islamic Revolution, we respect the right and choice of the Iranian people to elect their Supreme Leader,” quoted Aljazeera, citing KCNA. The spokesperson also criticised the US and Israel for launching what it called an unlawful attack on Iran. “We express grave concern and strongly condemn the aggression of the United States and Israel, which, by launching an unlawful military attack against Iran, are undermining the foundations of regional peace and security and increasing instability in the international landscape,” the spokesperson said.The statement added that such actions undermined “the political system and territorial integrity of a country”, which was unacceptable and “must be condemned and rejected by the entire world.” The conflict began after a US-Israeli strike on February 28 that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, triggering the ongoing war in the region. North Korea had earlier criticised the offensive, describing it as “gangster-like conduct”.Separately, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw another test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the country’s newest destroyer, the Choe Hyon destroyer. During the launch, Kim spoke about the need to maintain and expand a nuclear deterrent. Aljazeera said he referred to the strategic task of “maintaining and expanding a powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent”. The test marked the second missile launch from the destroyer overseen by Kim, who recently praised the move to arm the country’s navy with nuclear weapons.The United States has long sought to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear programme, while Pyongyang has argued that its weapons are necessary to deter potential threats from South Korea and its allies in Washington. In recent months, however, the administration of US President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to revive high-level talks with North Korea, while Kim has suggested the two countries could “get along” if Washington recognised Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear power.
