Tensions have escalated sharply between the United States and North Korea following Washington’s assertion that it may “interdict” North Korean ships, a move that Pyongyang has vehemently described as a “big step” toward nuclear war. The contentious development comes as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the international community to tighten the noose on the rogue regime after its recent missile tests.
The North Korean response was swift and severe. “Should the United States and its followers try to enforce the naval blockade against our country, we will see it as an act of war and respond with merciless self-defensive counter-measures as we have warned repeatedly,” declared North Korean media.
After North Korea’s latest nuclear test in September, the US sought the UN’s consent to interdict maritime traffic coming in and out of North Korea, but it did not get accepted in the UN resolution that passed unanimously. While North Korea’s rhetoric tends to be vitriolic, naval blockades are typically considered an act of war, as they usually require violence to enforce. Additionally, there is historical precedent for such practices causing war in the Pacific. In 1941, a US oil embargo on Japan served as a prelude to the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor that dragged the US into World War II.
The North Korean missile program’s potency and reliability remain subjects of scrutiny, with reports of missile failures, such as those provided by Ukrainian authorities about half of the North Korean missiles used by Russia in Ukraine failing and exploding in midair.
In response to growing missile threats not just from North Korea, but also from Russia, the United States and Japan have announced plans to develop a Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) intended. Unlike typical ballistic missiles, the hypersonic and glide vehicles travel at five times (or more) the speed of sound on an unpredictable trajectory. Compared to ballistic missile attacks, which can be defended with cutting-edge missile defense systems in the American inventory, hypersonic weapons are more challenging to shoot down or track since they are agile and capable of changing direction while in flight.
Relevant articles:
– The US said it might block North Korean ships — and Pyongyang called it a ‘big step’ toward nuclear war , Yahoo Lifestyle UK, 05/09/2024
– About half of the North Korean missiles Russia fired at Ukraine flew off course and exploded in the air, official says, Business Insider India, 05/07/2024
– Anti-Hypersonic Missiles: US, Japan To Develop Glide Phase Interceptors To Deflate China, Russia Threats, EurAsian Times, 05/06/2024
– Biden to meet with Iraqi PM amid tension over troops, renewed ISIS threats, Yahoo New Zealand News, 05/05/2024