U.S. diplomat warns to be 'prepared for the worst' right after N. Korean official reportedly shuts down diplomacy

yahoo.com

Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that while the State Department remained focused on quelling tensions with North Korea through diplomatic channels, that the nation and world must remain prepared for the possibility that those efforts will fail.

"We must, however, with our allies in Japan and South Korea and elsewhere, be prepared for the worst should diplomacy fail,” Sullivan said, according to the Associated Press.

The comments come fresh off a report from CNN claiming a North Korean official said that the country is no longer interested in diplomacy until it develops the capabilities to build a long-range (ICBM) capable of hitting the East coast of the United States.

"Before we can engage in diplomacy with the Trump administration, we want to send a clear message that [North Korea] has a reliable defensive and offensive capability to counter any aggression from the United States," the North Korean official reportedly told CNN.

Over the weekend, Secretary of State John Tillerson said that he intends to continue diplomatic efforts with North Korea until "the first bomb drops."