North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un has declared an end to moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic
missile tests and threatened a demonstration of a "new strategic weapon" soon.
Analysts said the announcement, reported by state media on Wednesday, amounted to Kim putting a missile "to Donald Trump's head" -- but warned that escalation by
Pyongyang would probably backfire.
Washington was swift to respond, with
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging Kim to "take a different course" and stressing that the US wanted "peace not confrontation" with the North, while Trump played down the development.