Will U.S. Launch Preemptive Strike Against North Korea?

The Trump administration has been sending warnings to rogue regimes – America will hold you accountable. Now North Korea is being put on notice.

It's been an intense week of foreign policy for the Trump administration.

Late last week, the president ordered a missile strike on a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack believed to be launched by the Assad regime on its own people.

Then on Thursday, the United States dropped what's known as MOAB, the "mother of all bombs," on Eastern Afghanistan, targeting an ISIS cave complex.

Last week, a U.S. special forces operator was killed in that area, which was laced with terror tunnels used by ISIS to target U.S. forces.    

"This was another very, very successful mission," said President Donald Trump. 

The 22,000-pound bomb is the biggest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the U.S.

Now the warning is being sent to North Korea – don't even think about another nuclear bomb test.

"North Korea has got to change its behavior," said U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.

U.S. officials say it looks like the rogue communist regime of Kim Jong Un is planning a nuke test this weekend.

"North Korea is a problem; the problem will be taken care of," Trump said.

"The time for action is now," said Mark Toner, acting State Department spokesperson.

America's top military leaders say the situation is urgent because North Korea has sped up the pace of missile tests in the past six months.

Monitors say the latest satellite images show a North Korean nuclear test site "primed and ready." 

In response, the U.S. has moved an aircraft carrier strike group near North Korea.
 
NBC News reports several senior U.S. intelligence officials say the U.S. is prepared to launch a preemptive strike with conventional weapons should leaders believe the rogue regime is on the verge of another nuclear weapons test.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the NBC News report.

A North Korean leader told The Associated Press the country is ready to launch its own preemptive strike if the U.S. shows any sign of "reckless" military aggression.

In addition, North Korea's vice minister, Han Song-ryol, said his country "will go to war if they choose."

Meanwhile, China is calling on all parties not to provoke and threaten each other.