CIA Director: US Not on the Brink of Nuclear War with North Korea

The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency denies that nuclear war with North Korea is imminent.

North Korea threatens to attack US military bases in the Pacific. Photo: AP.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo denied that the US and North Korea are on the brink of nuclear war, Fox News reported on August 13.

“I have not seen intelligence that indicates we are in that position,” Mr. Pompeo said.

However, the CIA director also warned that North Korea is moving towards developing nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles at an "unprecedented alarming rate." Mr. Pompeo believes that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will continue the missile program, so he would not be surprised if Pyongyang conducts more tests of these weapons.

Referring to North Korea's threat to attack the US Pacific island of Guam, the CIA Director said that if North Korean leader Kim Jong-un does anything to Guam or any other US or allied territory, he will "quickly regret it".

North Korea announced on August 10 that it would attack the US Pacific island of Guam with four ballistic missiles. The country's military will complete the plan by mid-August. In response, US President Trump warned North Korea to act wisely, saying that military measures were "locked and loaded." Mr. Trump previously asserted that Pyongyang would face "fire and fury" if it did not halt its nuclear weapons program.

According to VNE