North Korea strongly condemned US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a grave violation of the security interests and territorial rights of a sovereign state, Reuters reported, citing DPRK state media.
"The United States and Israel are to blame for current Middle East tensions caused by "continuous military actions and territorial expansion" of Jerusalem, accepted and encouraged by the West," the Asian country's foreign ministry said.
"North Korea strongly condemns the attack on Iran by the US, which violently trampled on the territorial integrity and security interests of a sovereign state," the ministry added.
"The just international community must raise its voice for unanimous condemnation and rejection of the confrontational actions of the US and Israel," the ministry said.
Iran and North Korea, which possess nuclear weapons, maintain friendly relations and are suspected of decades of military cooperation, including in the development of ballistic missiles.
A now-defunct group of experts monitoring UN sanctions said in 2021 that the two countries had resumed cooperation on long-range missile development projects, including have been transferring critical parts.
"Pyongyang could provide significant assistance to Iran in rebuilding destroyed missile production facilities, including at new locations to avoid potential inspection," said Ankit Panda of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. for international peace.
Whether either country would be interested in substantial cooperation on efforts to restore or accelerate Iran's nuclear weapons program is less certain, given the political and military sensitivities surrounding such technologies, he noted.
"There are certain issues related to weapons design that the North Koreans would not want to spread because once they get to Iran, they could be detected by the United States and potentially help them undermine their deterrent system," Panda explained.
However, Pyongyang has considerable experience in weapons development and could assist with non-fissile components of a nuclear bomb, such as conventional explosives, he added.
Over the past year, North Korea has taken unprecedented steps to deepen military aid to Russia, another of Iran's partners, sending thousands of troops as well as ballistic missiles and other weapons for use in the war against Ukraine.