Trump: N.Korea can expect "big, big trouble" if Guam attacked
President Donald Trump said North Korea could expect "big, big trouble" if it attacks the US Pacific territory of Guam. Trump promised to keep Guam "very safe, believe me." He said America could impose further sanctions on Pyongyang which would be "as strong as they get." His statement comes amid escalating US-North Korea tensions over the latter's nuclear and missile program.
North Korea: Plan to bomb Guam will be ready soon
On August 10, North Korea said its plan to strike the US Pacific territory of Guam with missiles will be ready by mid-August. It also denounced Donald Trump's "fire and fury" warnings, adding that the president was "bereft of reason." Washington has warned that Pyongyang's actions could translate to the "end of its regime."
Trump says Kim Jong-un will regret threatening Guam
Trump told reporters that "If he [Kim Jong-un] utters one threat in the form of an overt threat... with respect to Guam or anyplace else that's an American territory or an American ally he will truly regret it and he will regret it fast."
Trump sends mixed signals of war and peace
Trump said he would speak to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about the "very dangerous" North Korea situation. "Hopefully, it will all work out," he said. "Nobody loves a peaceful solution better than President Trump, that I can tell you," he added. Earlier, Trump tweeted that the US military was "locked and loaded" to counter North Korea, should the need arise.
Trump says military solutions on North Korea in place
North Korea accuses Trump of stoking nuclear war
Trump's statement came as North Korea accused the president of "driving" Korean Peninsula to the "brink of a nuclear war." Russia said the terse exchange of words between America and the North has left it worried. Russia said there's a "very high" risk of military conflict. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was no military solution to the ongoing crisis.
Japan deploys missile defense system following Pyongyang's Guam threat
Japan is deploying its Patriot missile defense system in preparation against North Korea's threat to attack Guam by flying ballistic missiles over Japanese airspace. The Patriot missiles have started being deployed in the western cities of Shimane, Hiroshima and Kochi, which could be along North Korea's missile flight path. In the past, Japan, a US ally, has threatened to shoot down North Korean missiles.
Chinese media: N.Korea on its own if it attacks America
The Chinese government's "semi-official" state-owned mouthpiece Global Times has warned in an editorial that China won't come to North Korea's aid if the latter launches missile strikes threatening the US. However, Beijing would intervene if America strikes the North first. The editorial warned that "China will respond with a firm hand" if Washington and Pyongyang jeopardize Chinese interests. China has called for crisis de-escalation.
