North Koren TV/AFP/Getty
In a statement published Thursday by North Korea’s official news agency, North Korean military officials announced that they had final approval for missile strikes on the U.S., possibly involving nuclear weapons. The Army said threats would be “smashed by ... cutting-edge smaller, lighter, and diversified nuclear strike means.” It added that “the moment of explosion is approaching fast,” and war could break out on the Korean peninsula “today or tomorrow.” The statement comes a week after North Korea ordered its strategic rocket units into combat status, aiming at strikes on the U.S. mainland, Guam, and Hawaii. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said North Korea posed a “clear and real” danger. The Pentagon has deployed an advanced missile defense system to Guam as a precaution.