North Korea Tested Missile Capable Of Hitting U.S., State Department Says

WASHINGTON, DC — North Korea appears to be capable of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile, potentially reaching parts of the United States. According to a statement from the State Department Tuesday night, the country's most recent missile test demonstrated the country's ability to launch an ICBM.

"The United States strongly condemns North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile," Secretary of State Tillerson said in a statement. "Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world." (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

North Korea, which is run by a strict authoritarian regime, poses unique challenges on the global stage as a nuclear power that is isolated from nearly the entire international community. Its frequent tests of ballistic missiles in recent months have raised tensions with the United States.

Watch: North Korea Claims It Successfully Fired An Intercontinental Missile

Tillerson continued: "Global action is required to stop a global threat. Any country that hosts North Korean guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime. All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons. We intend to bring North Korea's provocative action before the UN Security Council and enact stronger measures to hold the DPRK accountable."

Tillerson noted that President Trump and his national security staff have been kept abreast of the development, and they are assessing the situation in conjunction with American allies. Tillerson said that the only American goal for North Korea is peaceful denuclearization.

Trump has previously said that he was moving away from President Obama's method of "strategic patience" for dealing with North Korea, though he has offered little in the way of alternatives. Tillerson has also previously said that diplomatic measures for dealing with the regime have failed.

On July 3, Trump tweeted:

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Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images