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The US Pacific Command said the missiles appeared to be short-range. The first and second missiles “failed in flight” and the third “appears to have blown up almost immediately”. It said the North American Aerospace Defence Command determined the missile launches did not pose a threat to Guam, which the North previously warned it would target if provoked.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump has been briefed and “we are monitoring the situation.” North Korea last month fired intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, triggering heightened rhetoric from both the sides.
Trump had warned of “fire and fury” and ramped up his rhetoric days later, saying “maybe that statement wasn’t tough enough”. But the US president this week indicated that a deal could be struck with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme. His comments had come soon after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the North’s regime has demonstrated some level of restraint in recent days, “that we’ve not seen in the past”.
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In response to the ICBM launches in July, the UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on August 5.