Fact Check: Is North Korea joining the war with Iran against the US and Israel?
WASHINGTON, DC: As the conflict in the Middle East has intensified following the death of Iran’s supreme leader in a joint operation by the United States and Israel, a rumor has been circulating on social media platforms that North Korea will be joining Iran in the war against the US and its allies. Let us analyse the rumor and fact-check the viral claim.
Claim: North Korea to join the war in the Middle East
The claim surfaced as a post on X, tweeted on Thursday, March 5, with a caption stating, “BREAKING: North Korea is about to join the war against the U.S. and Israel, and it supports Iran.”
"The Zionist entity will be erased when the time comes. Rolled out three nuclear Hwasong-20 ICBMs in the pouring rain.”
The post was accompanied by a video showing a military parade, involving a display of a nuclear missile.
The video has garnered more than a million views with thousands of likes and shares, with many in the comments appearing to believe the claim to be authentic.
Fact Check: False, claim originated as a satire
The claim, however, originated from a parody account, and there are no official reports that the Democratic People’s Republic has joined the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Although North Korea condemned the United States’ attack on Iran as a violation of sovereignty, it never made any official statement about directly involving itself in the war.
Also, the video of the military parade in the post is from 2025 and is not related to the developments in the Middle East.
A fact check by Grok stated, “No, this isn't real. The video is recycled/edited footage from North Korea's October 2025 military parade (where Hwasong-20 ICBMs were first publicly shown—no rain, no recent 'rollout’).“
“IranSpoof's bio notes ‘AI Visuals,' and the ‘breaking’ war claim mixes unverified social media rumors with no confirmation from any major news outlet or official sources as of today. It's hype, not news.”
US says Iran's ability to strike is weakening
The claim emerged as Iran continues its retaliatory airstrikes against the US and Israel, following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As the conflict entered its seventh day, the US military said on Thursday, March 5, that Iran’s ability to strike American forces and regional allies is weakening.
In a statement posted on social media, United States Central Command said sustained US and Israeli operations were significantly degrading Iran’s ability to retaliate.
The conflict began last Saturday, February 28, when the US and Israel launched coordinated attacks targeting Iran’s leadership, missile infrastructure, and nuclear facilities.
