The United States said late Wednesday it "strongly condemns" North Korea for what the White House described as the test of a "long-range ballistic missile," as it accused Pyongyang of inflaming regional tensions.
"The President (Joe Biden) and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement, adding the launch was "a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and ... risks destabilizing the security situation in the region."
While "the door has not closed on diplomacy," Watson said, "the United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies."