United States officials believe North Korea launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, CNN and NBC News reported.
CNN reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official with knowledge of the ongoing post-launch analysis, that U.S. military analysts believe North Korea fired a “probable” two-stage missile based on their ongoing assessment of the launch. The missile traveled over 550 miles, according to the report.
Military, diplomatic and national security officials held a series of ongoing meetings Tuesday to discuss the United States’ options based on the assessment’s results, CNN reported, citing several unnamed officials in President Donald Trump’s administration.
NBC News reported, citing two unnamed U.S. officials, that the missile “would have a range of at least 3,500 miles.”
North Korea’s Academy of Defense Science on Tuesday claimed the launch was the “final step” in creating a “confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth.”
The launch stood in contrast to Trump’s assertion in January that North Korea would not develop a nuclear weapon capable of targeting the United States.
“It won’t happen!” he tweeted at the time.
Trump responded to the test on Tuesday by appealing to Japan and South Korea, and suggested China might “put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all.”
