US threatens military action if North Korea launches missile

The US could take military action if North Korea attacks a base in the US or an allied country, or launches an intercontinental ballistic missile.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. Photo: Reuters.

"We're not going to act unless he (Kim Jong-un) creates a reason for us to do something. Our goal is not to start a war," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley replied when asked if the US was considering a preemptive strike on North Korea on NBC's "Today" program on April 24.

According to Ms. Haley, the "reason" could be that North Korea attacked a military base or launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"Right now, we're saying, 'Don't test, don't use nuclear missiles, don't try and do anything else.' I think he understands that. China is helping us apply pressure," Haley warned. If North Korea tests an ICBM or a nuclear weapon, "the president of the United States will decide what happens."

Tensions over North Korea have escalated as security experts fear Pyongyang could conduct its sixth nuclear test or an ICBM around the 85th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Army on April 25. North Korea last week reportedly detained an American citizen, with a third being held in Pyongyang.

The United States will do everything possible to free those detained in North Korea, Haley said.

According to VNE