SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday accused the United States of committing “state-sponsored terrorism” against Iran and vowed to strengthen what he called the “strategic unity” between Pyongyang and Tehran, according to a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim’s comments referenced this week’s U.S. drone strike on pro-Iranian militia facilities in eastern Syria and the Biden administration’s newly announced sanctions on individuals tied to Iran’s drone program. “The reckless aggression of the United States against the Islamic Republic is no different from the gangster logic it applies on the Korean peninsula,” Kim said, calling on “all independent nations” to resist American pressure.
North Korea’s foreign ministry amplified the message in a separate communique, denouncing the sanctions as a “grave violation of international law” and asserting that Washington is escalating tensions “from Asia to the Middle East.” The ministry said Pyongyang “fully supports every measure of self-defence chosen by the Iranian people.”
U.S. officials dismissed the accusations. A State Department spokesperson, speaking on background, said the strikes in Syria targeted groups “directly responsible for attacks on U.S. personnel” and were “consistent with international law.” The spokesperson added that North Korea’s statement “deliberately mischaracterises lawful defensive action.”
Analysts note that while North Korea and Iran have long exchanged missile know-how, public expressions of solidarity from Kim himself are unusual. “This looks like an attempt to tighten an informal anti-U.S. bloc and remind Washington that pressure on one front can ricochet on another,” said Go Myong-hyun, a research fellow at the Asan Institute in Seoul.
Washington and Pyongyang have been deadlocked over nuclear talks since 2019. The White House last week signalled openness to “dialogue without preconditions,” but North Korea responded by test-firing short-range missiles. “By bringing up Iran, Kim is broadening the chessboard,” said Jenny Town, director of the Stimson Center’s 38 North project. “It complicates any U.S. effort to compartmentalise crisis management.”
With the United Nations Security Council already strained by vetoes on Ukraine resolutions, diplomats fear a fresh showdown over Iran or North Korea could further paralyse the body. South Korean officials say they expect Pyongyang to mark next month’s Supreme People’s Assembly with “a major defence announcement,” potentially linked to its long-range missile program.
Whether Kim’s rhetoric yields concrete defence cooperation with Tehran remains uncertain, but regional security experts warn that parallel U.S. confrontations with Iran and North Korea could stretch Washington’s deterrence posture in both the Middle East and East Asia.