'He respects me': Trump's response when asked why North Korea can have nuclear weapons & Iran can't

US President Donald Trump has pointed to his personal relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while explaining why North Korea has nuclear weapons even as Washington opposes Iran acquiring them.

Asked on Tuesday why North Korea could possess nuclear weapons while Iran was being prevented from developing them, Trump highlighted his ties with Kim and said previous US administrations had failed to stop Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

Trump calls Kim 'a friend'

“He happens to be a friend of mine. Kim Jong Un is a friend of mine,” the US President said. “He likes Trump…I’m about the only person in the entire world that he likes, and I like him. As long as I'm around, he's going to be fine. You know why? Because he respects me and he likes me.”

Trump also acknowledged that North Korea has a “pretty large” nuclear capability and blamed earlier US presidents for allowing the country to develop its arsenal.

The remarks come as Trump continues to signal interest in renewed engagement with Kim. The two leaders held three meetings during Trump's first presidency, beginning with their Singapore summit in 2018, followed by talks in Hanoi in 2019 and a meeting at the Korean Demilitarised Zone later that year.

From threats to diplomacy

Trump and Kim's relationship initially began with sharp rhetoric during Trump's first term, when the US president warned North Korea of “fire and fury” amid its nuclear and missile tests.

Their approach changed in 2018 when Trump became the first sitting US president to meet a North Korean leader. The Singapore summit produced an agreement to work towards new relations and denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

The Hanoi summit the following year ended without a deal, with disagreements over North Korea's nuclear programme and sanctions relief.

North Korea remains nuclear-armed

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and carried out six tests through 2017.

SIPRI's 2026 assessment estimates that North Korea had assembled around 60 nuclear warheads as of January 2026 and possessed enough fissile material to produce at least 30 more. The institute said Pyongyang continues to expand its nuclear capabilities and develop new missile systems.

Trump's comments therefore come against the backdrop of an existing North Korean nuclear arsenal, while his administration continues to oppose Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.