North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has defended his country’s nuclear arsenal, citing the ongoing war with Iran as evidence of the need for strong military deterrence, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.Speaking before North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly on Tuesday, Kim accused the United States of carrying out “terrorism and invasions” in various regions, in reference to Washington’s conflict with Iran, although he did not directly mention US President Donald Trump.
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Kim Jong Un nuclear warning amid Iran war; North Korea launches 600mm nuclear-capable missile launchers
“The dignity, interests and ultimate victory of any country can only be guaranteed by the strongest force,” Kim said, according to the Korean Central News Agency. He added, “Whether the enemies choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence, this is their choice, and we are ready to respond to any choice.”
He pledged to strengthen North Korea’s “defensive nuclear deterrent” and maintain a “rapid and precise” response mode for its nuclear forces to confront “strategic threats” to national and regional security.Kim added that North Korea “will continue to consolidate its status as a nuclear weapons state… while waging vigorous campaigns to crush any provocations by hostile forces.”Kim also escalated his tone towards South Korea, officially declaring it “the most hostile country.”
Kim said that North Korea “officially” recognized South Korea as the most hostile country and would completely ignore it through the clearest statements and actions, warning of “harsh” consequences if Seoul provoked Pyongyang.Meanwhile, US President Trump confirmed the continuation of negotiations with Iran, claiming that the war is nearing its end.“We’re in negotiations now. I can tell you they want to make a deal, and who would say no if I were there? Look, their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their communications are gone.
Almost everything they had was gone. I think we’ll finish it. I can’t tell you for sure. We won this… We have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country. They can’t do anything about it. For example, if you wanted to destroy that power plant, they couldn’t do anything about it.
He said: “They were completely defeated, and militarily they died.”But Iran denied reports of negotiations and insisted that peace would only be achieved if the United States and Israel ended their campaign. As Iran launches its 80th wave of retaliatory strikes, the Middle East remains turbulent.
