Germany urges Iran to respond to talks, backs diplomacy effort

Daily NK reported that residents in northern areas were closely following the war and asking whether it could eventually pull Pyongyang in.

One source said some were alarmed that the fighting had continued despite the killing of Iran’s top leader.

“Some parents with sons about to be conscripted are worried it could lead to overseas deployment,” the source said, while others urged caution, saying, “The war in Russia is not even over – would they really send troops to the Iran war as well?”

The same report said rumors tied to the conflict were spreading in Yanggang and other northern areas, adding to a broader sense of unease already fueled by worsening living conditions.

Residents were said to be more focused on rising prices and food shortages than on military achievements. According to sources cited by the outlet, repeated missile launches have drawn a cold response from the public as inflation and exchange-rate pressure deepen the burden on households.

“Which people would applaud this in such a situation?” one source said. Others complained that “it would be better if they reduced the number of launches and brought in more rice,” reflecting frustration that resources were being directed toward military activity rather than basic needs.

Another source said rhetoric about strengthening defense or expanding strike capabilities was failing to resonate with ordinary people.

“Words like ‘strengthening defense capabilities’ and ‘strike capacity’ do not even register with residents,” the source said, adding that for people struggling to survive day to day, the only welcome news would be lower prices for rice and other essentials.

The reports suggest a widening gap between official propaganda and public sentiment, with concerns about deployment, food costs and daily survival outweighing state messaging about military strength.

North Korean state media, however, has used the Iran war to reinforce its long-held argument for retaining and expanding nuclear weapons.

Leader Kim Jong Un this week accused the United States of carrying out “state terrorism and acts of aggression throughout the world” in comments widely interpreted as referring to the war.

According to KCNA, Kim said North Korea had made the decision to “permanently and irreversibly consolidate the possession of nuclear weapons,” adding that Pyongyang was “prepared to respond” whether its adversaries chose confrontation or peaceful coexistence.

Iran’s intelligence ministry said on Wednesday it had arrested 39 people in Tehran, describing them as members of “terrorist groups and enemy’s mercenaries.”

Some of those detained were accused of planning to form an operational cell in Sistan and Baluchestan province, while others were accused of helping create psychological pressure online or passing information to hostile networks, according to the statement.

The ministry also said security forces seized explosives, firearms, ammunition and Starlink devices.

Lebanon’s army said on Wednesday that debris from an Iranian-made ballistic missile fell over a wide area of the country after it exploded at high altitude on March 24.

In a statement on X, the army said the missile was a “Qadr-110” with a range of about 2,000 km and likely targeted outside Lebanon.

It said the explosion was probably caused by a technical malfunction or an intercept, adding there were no interceptor missile systems inside Lebanon.

The army said it was continuing its investigation into the incident.

A senior Iranian government communications official dismissed on Wednesday a reported US proposal to end the war as “media speculations” and a “wish list.”

Elias Hazrati, head of Iran’s government information council, said the reported points reflected goals Washington had sought through military action and later outlined on its own.

“These are media speculations and Mr. Trump’s lies. Do not pay much attention to them,” Hazrati said.

His comments come after a senior Iranian source told Reuters that Pakistan had delivered a US proposal to Tehran, with possible talks to de-escalate the war under discussion.

Staff of an Iranian hospital in Dubai have vacated accommodation linked to the facility after an order by authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Iran International has learned.

Residents were initially given one month to leave, but the deadline was cut to one week after the hospital was shut. Doctors, nurses and other staff living in the housing began leaving on Tuesday, and the evacuation was completed on Wednesday.

The visas of some employees whose residency was tied to the hospital were canceled. Those affected have had to return to Iran through third countries, including Afghanistan.

Earlier, housing linked to Iranian schools in Dubai was also vacated after those schools were shut, and staff returned to Iran.