NKorea Says Aims to Have World's Strongest Nuclear Force

This undated photo provided on Nov. 27, 2022, by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter, center right, waves to scientists and workers, following the launch of what it says a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, at an unidentified location in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
This undated photo provided on Nov. 27, 2022, by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter, center right, waves to scientists and workers, following the launch of what it says a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, at an unidentified location in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
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NKorea Says Aims to Have World's Strongest Nuclear Force

This undated photo provided on Nov. 27, 2022, by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter, center right, waves to scientists and workers, following the launch of what it says a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, at an unidentified location in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
This undated photo provided on Nov. 27, 2022, by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter, center right, waves to scientists and workers, following the launch of what it says a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, at an unidentified location in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country's intends to have the world's most powerful nuclear force as he promoted dozens of military officers involved in the recent launch of a new ballistic missile, state media reported on Sunday.

Reuters said that the announcement comes after Kim inspected a Nov. 18 test of the Hwasong-17, North Korea's largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and pledged to counter what he called US nuclear threats.

North Korea's "ultimate goal is to possess the world's most powerful strategic force, the absolute force unprecedented in the century," Kim said in the order promoting the officers, adding that building up the country's nuclear capabilities would reliably protect the dignity and sovereignty of the state and the people.

He described the Hwasong-17 as the "world's strongest strategic weapon" and said it demonstrated North Korea's resolve and ability to eventually build the world's strongest army.

North Korean scientists have made a "wonderful leap forward in the development of the technology of mounting nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles," and were expected to expand and strengthen the country's nuclear deterrent capabilities at an extraordinarily rapid pace, Kim was also quoted as saying.

Kim was pictured in photos posing with scientists, engineers and military officials involved in the test.

According to state media, those workers pledged to defend the "absolute authority" of the party and Kim, and vowed that "our missiles will fly vigorously only in the direction indicated" by Kim.

Kim’s daughter made a public appearance again. She’s only about 10, but her new, bold photos are deepening the debate over whether she’s being primed as a successor.

The daughter, believed to be Kim’s second child named Ju Ae and about 9 or 10 years old, was first unveiled to the outside world last weekend in state media photos showing her observing the North’s intercontinental ballistic missile launch the previous day with her parents and other older officials. The daughter wearing a white puffy coat and red shoes was shown walking hand-in-hand with Kim past a huge missile loaded on a launch truck and watching a soaring weapon.

On Sunday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency mentioned her for the second time, saying she and Kim took group photos with scientists, officials and others involved in what it called the test-launch of its Hwasong-17 ICBM.



Iran's Khamenei Says Gaza Brought Israel 'to Its Knees' 

This handout picture provided by the the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him greets attendees during a meeting with officials in Tehran on January 28, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR/AFP)
This handout picture provided by the the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him greets attendees during a meeting with officials in Tehran on January 28, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR/AFP)
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Iran's Khamenei Says Gaza Brought Israel 'to Its Knees' 

This handout picture provided by the the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him greets attendees during a meeting with officials in Tehran on January 28, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR/AFP)
This handout picture provided by the the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him greets attendees during a meeting with officials in Tehran on January 28, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR/AFP)

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that Gaza had brought Israel "to its knees", in a reference to the recent ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

The ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Iran's arch-enemy Israel and the Tehran-backed group Hamas went into effect just over a week ago, aiming to put an end to more than 15 months of war.

"The small, limited Gaza brought the Zionist regime, armed to the teeth, and fully supported by America, to its knees," Khamenei said during a meeting with officials in Tehran.

Also on Tuesday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, criticized US President Donald Trump's idea to move Palestinians out of Gaza to other locations such as Egypt or Jordan.

"Political coercion and demographic manipulations will not be able to force the Palestinians to migrate," Baqaei said in a post on X, adding that Gaza is the Palestinians' "homeland and they've paid (an) extremely high price to remain there".

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Fighters also took 251 hostages, 87 of whom remain in Gaza, including dozens Israel says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 47,000 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.