The United States is assessing military options in response to North Korea’s weapons programmes, a White House foreign policy advisor confirmed on Friday, saying another provocative test was a question of “when” rather than “if.”
As speculation mounted that Pyongyang is preparing to fire a trial nuke or missile on a major anniversary on Saturday, the official said the United States was poised to deal with the security threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
“Military options are already being assessed,” the adviser said on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, describing a fresh test as “possible.”
There are reports of activity at a nuclear test site in North Korea ahead of Saturday’s 105th anniversary of the birth of the country’s founder Kim Il-Sung.
Donald Trump has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from developing a nuclear ballistic missile capable of reaching the US.
