North Korea has strongly condemned the strikes on Iran carried out by the United States and Israel, even likening the US to a gangster.

As reported by Al Jazeera on Sunday (1/3/2026), the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran as an “illegal act of aggression” and a violation of Iran’s national sovereignty.

A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry stated that US involvement was in line with Pyongyang’s expectations. The spokesperson characterized it as an inevitable outcome given what was described as America’s hegemonic and gangster-like nature.

The statement emphasized that the aggressive war waged by the US and Israel is unacceptable under any circumstances.

The United States has labeled its attack on Iran as Operation “Epic Fury.” According to NBC News, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the military action as the deadliest, most complex, and most precise air operation in history.

He asserted that the Iranian regime had been given an opportunity to reach an agreement but refused, and is now facing the consequences. For nearly fifty years, he said, Iran has targeted and killed Americans while seeking to acquire the world’s most powerful weapons to advance its radical objectives. Hegseth added that, unlike previous presidents, President Trump has begun addressing what he called this threat.

The attack reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several other senior Iranian figures. In response, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against multiple US military bases across the Arabian Peninsula.