The United States strongly condemns North Korea's escalatory launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile today, according to a statement issued by chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White.
"We are monitoring and continuing to assess the situation in close coordination with our regional allies and partners," White said.
"The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies," the Pentagon spokesperson said. "Together with [South Korea], we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability."
"We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies and to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea," White said. "The United States seeks only the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Our commitment to the defense of our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad."