Washington keen to continue its “peaceful pressure” on Pyongyang

By Azernews

By Ali Mustafayev

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has stated that North Korea made a provocative act by launching three ballistic missiles, adding that the United States will continue to work on peaceful negotiations.

“We’re going to continue our peaceful pressure campaign, as I have described it, working with allies, working with China as well, to see if we can bring the regime in Pyongyang to the negotiating table with a view to begin a dialog on a different future for Korean peninsula and North Korea,” Tillerson said on Fox News Sunday.

Three short-range ballistic missiles were launched by the North Korea on Sunday, following the U.S. - South Korean joint military exercises.

Two missiles flew 250 kilometers distance, while the other exploded immediately. This missile test is not considered as a threat to North American Guam base, according to military authorities.

“We do view it as a provocative act - a provocative act against the United States and its allies,” Tillerson said, calling the firing “a violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” Tillerson said.

“Clearly they are still messaging us as well that they are not prepared to completely back away from their position.”

In early August, the UN Security Council voted to tighten sanctions on North Korea, intending to reduce about a third of the country’s export income.

The sanctions have been accompanied by mutual threats earlier between President Donald Trump and Kim’s regime.

US President warned North Korea it would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States. Pyongyang responded by threatening to fire missiles towards the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam, but later said it was holding off while it waited to see what Washington  would do next.

The Capitol Hill and President himself  then welcomed the North Korean restraint considering that Kim was “starting to respect” the U.S.