N Korea ‘respects’ Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader

Iran's new supreme leader 'likely disfigured', US defence chief says

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded and "likely disfigured", casting doubt on his ability to lead after nearly two weeks of conflict.

Hegseth claims Iran's new supreme leader is "wounded and likely disfigured"

<p>Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran's new supreme leader, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/mojtaba-khamenei-iran-supreme-leader" target="_blank">Mojtaba Khamenei</a>, is "wounded and likely disfigured."</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Hegseth's claim was the first official statement by the Trump administration about Khamenei's health since he was named the country's leader.</p><hr><ul><li>"Iran's leadership is in no better shape. Desperate and hiding they have gone underground, cowering. That's what rats do. We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured," Hegseth told reporters at a briefing.</li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes:</strong> President Trump told G7 leaders in a virtual meeting on Wednesday that Khamenei "is not in good shape," according to a source with knowledge of the call.</p><ul><li>"Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender," <a href="https://www.axios.c...

North Korean leader’s sister criticizes US-South Korea for proceeding with joint drills - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOWWR2aHMxWVRLM0VXSC1MMWs5MGlUSlRHNnBUcUJDeHFPakZBdEVGZlhyVmNBOFVVUm14bk1iT0FwRzQxdk1tXzY2aFpmaUpHcmVvZzVoNmQyb0YxcmNfTHowVmEwakRYUlZ6TUhKeUlHQm1jclhQeGRqNU52bC1QcHBLYXYwamdKNGFucXdRakhzdVNTcUZ1MEdqRVlUQVU4?oc=5" target="_blank">North Korean leader’s sister criticizes US-South Korea for proceeding with joint drills</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

US offers reward for information on Iran's supreme leader, senior officials - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxPRWRBSW9DZHVCaHJYcWJwUXkzTjNCT1E4Z0dqREZjRGI0YnozaWx3VGJpTUZDOFdnR0hsZG5OaEdqamdXdUczN3pSZE9PSWduVW96X3FDRUxzU3NLSTZxLWlFX1lTM0hNT1FjYVNTMFRVeWltUHlpTFppTG5HVFpsZHVrY25odVdZRzdsU25pSjNBWlBpVHVqSmNrd28xOEF6RzFTa19XMnBoUUxHT2VOTTcteGoyam5kY1B1bA?oc=5" target="_blank">US offers reward for information on Iran's supreme leader, senior officials</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

Trump’s Iran war will reinforce North Korea’s view that nuclear weapons are the only path to security

<p>As speculation mounts that Kim Jong-un and Trump could meet this month, analysts say Pyongyang will continue to see nuclear weapons as a matter of survival</p><p>North Korea’s launch last week of a missile from a naval destroyer elicited an uncharacteristically prosaic analysis from the country’s leader, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/kim-jong-un">Kim Jong-un</a>. The launch was proof, he said, that arming ships with nuclear weapons was “making satisfactory progress”.</p><p>But the test, and Kim’s mildly upbeat appraisal, were designed to reverberate well beyond the deck of the 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel the Choe Hyon – the biggest warship in the North Korean fleet.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/10/north-korea-nuclear-weapons-trump-iran-war">Continue reading...</a>

Iran's next supreme leader won't 'last long' without my approval, Trump says - ABC News