War With North Korea "Not Imminent" Says Senior US Security Official

Senior US security officials have said that although the possibility of war is greater than it was a decade ago, it is ‘not imminent’.

CIA director Mike Pompeo and national security advisor HR McMaster attempted to provide assurances that a conflict with North Korea is avoidable without undermining the president’s tough stance.

They said the United States and its allies can no longer afford to stand by as North Korea pushes ahead with the development  of a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile.

Mr McMaster said:

"We're not closer to war than a week ago but we are closer to war than we were a decade ago."

But he also stressed the US is pursuing "a very determined diplomatic effort" led by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

He also repeated Mr Trump’s recent threat, saying "the US military is locked and loaded every day."

Mr Pompeo said "there's nothing imminent today", in response to a question about how worried people should be over the escalating tensions.

He added that the US has a "pretty good idea" of North Korea's intentions, but did not provide specifics.

The CIA chief described Mr Kim as "rational" and responsive to "adverse circumstances".

He said:

"The reaction in North Korea that we are intending to get is an understanding that America is no longer going to have the strategic patience that it's had that has permitted him to continue to develop his weapons programme. It's that straightforward."

Meanwhile, top US military officer General Joseph Dunford is in Asia and will be meeting with leaders in South Korea, Japan and China.

Gen Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters travelling with him that he hopes to "sense what the temperature is in the region".

He also will discuss military options in the event the diplomatic persuasion campaign fails, stating that:

"We're all looking to get out of this situation without a war."