▲ This photo, provided by AFP, shows Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

N Korea-Iran

N. Korea supports election of Iran's new supreme leader amid raging war in Middle East

SEOUL, March 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Wednesday it supports the election of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, after his father was killed by U.S.-Israeli attacks on Tehran, noting it "respects" the Iranian people's right to choose and elect their supreme leader.

A spokesperson at the North's foreign ministry made the remarks after Iran elected Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of late former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader Sunday.

"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," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North's official also "strongly" denounced U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran as an "illegal" military attack.

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

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