The United States is not looking to get into a fight with North Korea unless Pyongyang sparks one, Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told reporters, Sputnik reported.
"There's one message to North Korea: the US is not looking for a fight… [but] if they keep trying to instigate, if they try and give us one, then they're going to create a fight," Haley said on Tuesday. "North Korea needs to realize don't give us a reason and we won't have a reason to fight."
Earlier on Tuesday, US Vice President Mike Pence said during a joint press conference with Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso that the United States will continue to work with its allies to address the gravest threat to the region emanating from North Korea.
The statement was made amid an escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula with the South Korea and US military reporting April 16 that they had witnessed what they believe to be a failed missile test by Pyongyang which followed a number of missile launches and nuclear tests considered to be in violation with the UN Security Council resolution.
On April 14, US media reported that US President Donald Trump might order a strike against North Korea if Pyongyang decided to carry out another nuclear weapon test.