N. Korea reports on Iran-Israel armed conflict without its own commentary

Israeli emergency team members work at the site where Iranian ballistic missiles struck residential buildings at the site where Iranian ballistic missiles struck residential buildings in Beer Sheva, southern Israel, June 20. EPA-Yonhap

North Korea's mainstream newspaper on Monday reported on the ongoing armed conflict between Iran and Israel, citing statements from Russia and Iran without direct commentary of its own.

The Rodong Sinmun, a daily intended for general North Korean readers, reported Russia's foreign ministry voiced serious concerns Friday over Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.

The newspaper quoted Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova as warning that such attacks could trigger a global nuclear disaster and that the international community is just a few centimeters away from one.

In a separate article, the newspaper also reported on a speech by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a U.N. Human Rights Council session Friday, in which he denounced Israel's armed attacks.

The Rodong Sinmun quoted Araghchi as accusing Israel of targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in violation of international law and warning that this could also result in a disastrous radioactive leak.

The newspaper said that around 100 Iranian fighter jets and suicide drones attacked military targets in Israel's Haifa and Tel Aviv on Thursday, followed by missile launches targeting Israeli facilities Saturday.

The reports only included statements and developments from Iran and Russia without any direct comments of their own.

As of Monday, North Korea had not reported on the United States' air strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites carried out Saturday night.

Inserting itself into the Israel-Iran conflict, the U.S. used B-2 bombers to launch air strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, with President Donald Trump describing the operation as "successful" and claiming the Iranian sites were "obliterated."