North Korea on Monday said it is willing to use nuclear weapons on the United States should the U.S. do anything to aggravate a response, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Ri Yong Ho, North Korea’s foreign minister, told reporters at a security conference that Pyongyang will “under no circumstances” take part in negotiations regarding its nuclear program.
Pyongyang “is ready to teach the U.S. a severe lesson with its nuclear strategic force,” should the Untied States attack North Korea, Ri reportedly said.
{mosads}The statement comes two days after the United Nations Security Council voted to impose new sanctions on North Korea following ballistic missile tests last month.
Ri said in the Monday statement that the nuclear program is for potential self-defense “in the face of a clear and real nuclear threat posed by the U.S.”
Trump administration officials have recently been talking tough on North Korea and have said patience is wearing thin.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley praised new sanctions as a sign that the international community is seriously addressing the threat of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
“It is time for North Korea to realize, we are not playing anymore,” Haley said on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.”
Military officials last month discussed options with South Korea following Pyongyang’s intercontinental ballistic missile test on July 28, the Pentagon said at the time.