North Korea says it is "carefully examining" a plan to strike the US territory of Guam with missiles hours after President Trump said they'd be met with "fire and fury".
A spokesperson for the Korean People's Army says the strike plan would be "put into practice in a multi-current and consecutive way any moment" once leader Kim Jong Un makes a decision.
In a different statement, another military spokesman said North Korea would could carry out a pre-emptive operation if the United States showed signs of provocation.
Washington has warned it is ready to use force if needed to stop North Korea's ballistic missile and but prefers using global diplomatic action like sanctions.
The consequences of any US strike would be catastrophic to not only North Korea but also South Korea, Japan and the thousands of U.S. military personnel within range of any North Korean retaliatory strikes.