US B-1B bombers drill over Korean peninsula

The United States’ two supersonic B-1B bombers have flown above and near the Korean Peninsula, two days after President Donald Trump said “all options” regarding North Korea remain on the table.

South Korean and Japanese fighter jets also joined the US bombers during the exercises which were conducted on Thursday. Four US stealth F-35B jets also participated in the drills.

The drills were carried out on the last day of annual US-South Korea military exercises.

”North Korea’s actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland, and their destabilizing actions will be met accordingly,” General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces Commander, said during an unscheduled visit to Japan.

“This complex mission clearly demonstrates our solidarity with our allies and underscores the broadening cooperation to defend against this common regional threat,” he said.

North Korea denounces US exercises

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) strongly denounced the US exercises, according to the KCNA news agency.

"The US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces do not hide their bellicose nature, claiming that the exercises are to 'counter' the DPRK's ballistic rocket launches and nuclear weapons development," the news agency said.

"But the wild military acts of the enemies are nothing but the rash act of those taken aback by the intermediate-to-long range strategic ballistic rocket launching drill conducted by the army of the DPRK as the first military operation in the Pacific."

Tensions between the US and North Korea have been heightened since Pyongyang’s latest missile launch over Japan’s airspace on Monday.

The launch sparked angry reactions from South Korea, Japan and the United States, as well as calls for restraint by other countries.

US President Donald Trump said in a statement on Tuesday the world has received North Korea's latest message "loud and clear.”

"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime’s isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table," he said. 

Trump earlier this month intensified his rhetoric against North Korea, saying a military option against North Korea is "locked and loaded."

PressTV-‘All options’ on the table on N Korea: Trump

US President Donald Trump says “all options” regarding North Korea remain on the table, ratcheting up his war of words against the Asian nation.

"Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong-un will find another path!" Trump tweeted on August 10. 

A day earlier, Trump issued another apocalyptic warning to North Korea, saying his previous threat to hit the country with American "fire and fury" maybe "wasn't tough enough."

In response to Trump’s dire warnings, North Korea said it was "carefully examining" a plan to strike the American Pacific territory of Guam with missiles.

The North Korean military said it could carry out a pre-emptive strike if there were signs of an American provocation.

North Korea regards the US as its arch enemy since Washington has adopted a war-like posture vis-à-vis Pyongyang and has permanent military presence in the region.

North Korea sees its missile and nuclear capabilities as a deterrent against a potential US aggression.

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