Fact Check: Did Kim Jong-Un threaten nuclear strikes on Washington if US attacked Iran?

WASHINGTON, DC: A breaking claim has gone viral on social media alleging that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to launch nuclear ballistic missile strikes on Tel Aviv and Washington, DC, if the United States used nuclear weapons against Iran. 

The posts come amid heightened global tensions and renewed commentary from North Korea condemning recent US and Israeli military actions in Iran.

Claim: Kim Jong-Un threatened to attack Washington, DC

The claim originated from an X user, @GBX_Press, whose post went viral, stating, “North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has announced that if the United States attacks Iran with nuclear weapons." 

The post further claimed, “He will launch nuclear ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv and Washington, DC.” It has since received over 1.3 million views, thousands of comments, and around 7.2K likes.

The post also sparked widespread reactions in the comments section, with several users questioning its authenticity, including remarks such as “Fact check this claim,” “when did he say that?” and “Did Kim Jong-un actually issue this statement?”

However, some users appeared to believe the claim, with one commenting, “Left wants more of this kind of threats in the world…lets give Iran chance to become an imminent nuclear threat.. yea, why not.”

Fact Check: No credible sources support Kim Jong-Un’s alleged threat against US

The claim that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un announced he would launch nuclear ballistic missile strikes on Tel Aviv and Washington, DC if the United States uses nuclear weapons against Iran is false.

There is no verified statement, official speech, or government release from North Korea making this specific threat. No reputable news outlets or monitoring groups have reported any such declaration by Kim Jong-Un.

Searches for related terms, such as “Kim Jong-Un threatening the US over Iran attacks” or “Is Kim Jong-Un threatening the US over Iran?”, also do not return any credible sources supporting this claim. Notably, the X post sharing the Kim Jong-Un claim does not provide any official source or details on when the alleged statement was made.

While North Korea has repeatedly condemned US and Israeli actions in the Middle East and used such rhetoric to justify strengthening its nuclear program, these statements are general political messaging rather than direct operational threats.

North Korea regularly issues strongly worded warnings through state media, particularly regarding US military activity, but these are typically broad deterrence statements rather than specific strike plans targeting cities like Washington or Tel Aviv.

Analysts note that Pyongyang’s nuclear policy is primarily focused on deterrence and regime survival rather than immediate offensive nuclear war planning.