US Officials Call Emergency Meeting on Fourth to Plan Response to North Korea Missile Launch

Key Trump administration officials huddled on the Fourth of July to plan a U.S. response if it is confirmed that North Korea conducted an intercontinental ballistic test, CNN reported.

Top national security, military and diplomatic officials were meeting Tuesday to study what options might be available to them if the North Korean ICBM claim proven, according to the news network.

North Korea had claimed it successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile – a milestone in its effort to build nuclear weapons capable of hitting the U.S., The New York Times reported.

The announcement followed the launch of missile that stayed aloft for 37 minutes, the newspaper said. It suggested a major improvement in the range of the country’s missiles, the Times said.

"The (North Korean) claim is being taken seriously," one senior administration official told CNN.

If true, the U.S. would likely approve a "measured response," an official told the news network. That response could include sending troops, aircraft and ships to the region, but diplomatic options are also under review, CNN said.

The U.S. is convinced the test by North Korea does not necessarily mean it can immediately launch a missile that can reach as far as western Alaska, CNN said. And it is unknown if the North Koreans possess a functioning nuclear warhead.

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