North Korea signals support for Iran's new supreme leader

ISTANBUL

North Korea announced its support for Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader while denouncing US-Israeli attacks on Iran, state media reported Wednesday.

Pyongyang said it respects the choice of the Assembly of Experts to select Khamenei, who was named the new supreme leader on March 8, following the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

"With regard to the recent official announcement that Iran's Assembly of Experts elected the new leader of the Islamic Revolution, we respect the rights and choice of the Iranian people to elect their supreme leader," a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The spokesperson also strongly denounced the US-Israeli offensive against Iran.

"We express serious concern over and strongly denounce the acts of aggression by the US and Israel that are destroying the regional peace and security foundations and escalating instability worldwide by mounting an illegal military attack on Iran," the spokesperson said.

The escalation in the Middle East intensified when Israel and the US launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28, reportedly killing more than 1,200 people to date.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel along with Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Eight US service members have been killed since the military campaign began.