North Korean dictator says government will keep cementing nation's 'irreversible status as a nuclear power'

North Korean's Kim Jong Un pledged to solidify his nation's nuclear status while keeping a hard-line position regarding South Korea, which he referred to as the "most hostile" state, state media indicated Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

In a speech Monday to Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament, Kim accused the United States of global "state terrorism and aggression," in an apparent reference to the war in the Middle East, and said North Korea will play a more forceful role in a united front against Washington amid rising anti-American sentiment.

The AP reported that the North Korean official indicated that the matter of whether opponents "choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence is up to them, and we are prepared to respond to any choice."

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"The dignity of the nation, its national interest and its ultimate victory can only be guaranteed by the strongest of power," Kim stated, according to the AP. "The government of our republic will continue to consolidate our absolutely irreversible status as a nuclear power and will aggressively wage a struggle against hostile forces to crush their (anti-North Korean) provocations and schemes."

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The 2026 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community states, "North Korea remains committed to expanding its strategic weapons programs, including missiles and nuclear warheads, and to solidifying its deterrent capability." 

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The U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran more than three weeks ago in a bid to prevent the Islamic Republic from potentially joining the ranks of other nations that possess nuclear weapons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report