North Korea has launched another ballistic missile test, this time towards international waters.
The test on Wednesday (April 5) was deemed a failure by the Pentagon, however, according to Fox News, landing short of Japanese waters and having possibly “pinwheeled” in flight.
According to the report, the launch was more of a comment than a loud provocation: a U.S. defense official confirmed the missile was a SCUD, rather than an advanced ballistic missile, and it turned out to be a dud.
Nevertheless, U.S. Secretary of State issued a terse statement shortly after the launch that underscored the Trump administration’s expressed policy of moving on from the diplomatic option that has proved fruitless with North Korea.
“North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.”
North Korea has been actively involved in supplying the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists with weaponry, according to Israeli intelligence reports. Last month the Israel Air Force destroyed a convoy delivering advanced North Korean missiles through Syrian territory to a Hezbollah terrorist base in Lebanon. In an unusual move, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement acknowledging the air strike and the reason for Israel’s attack.
North Korean-produced parts were also found at the construction site of a half-built Syrian nuclear plant destroyed in an air strike in 2007.