Tag: missile

North Korea says ballistic missile test a success: media

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea confirmed it had “successfully” tested a ballistic missile, the state-run news agency KCNA reported Monday. “A surface-to-surface medium long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2… was successfully test-fired on Sunday,” the report said. The missile was launched from Banghyon air base in the western province of North Pyongan, and flew east towards the Sea of Japan (East Sea), South Korea’s defence ministry said earlier. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un “guided” the […]

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Iran minister tweets ‘we’ll never initiate war’

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday that his country will “never initiate a war”, despite facing threats, in reference to a series of US warnings over its testing of missiles. Tehran was “unmoved by threats as we derive security from our people. We’ll never initiate war, but we can only rely on our own means of defense,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said on his official Twitter account. “We will never use our […]

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Iran rejects Trump missile warning as relations sour

  by Stephane Barbier Agence France Presse TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran on Thursday rejected a warning from President Donald Trump over its latest missile test as unfounded and “provocative”, reflecting growing tensions between Tehran and the new US administration. Trump is a strident critic of the Islamic republic and a vocal opponent of an international deal that saw Iran curb its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. He said on Thursday that Tehran […]

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Trump White House puts Iran ‘on notice’

by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s White House signaled a tougher stance toward Iran on Wednesday, condemning a recent missile test and declaring America was putting the Islamic republic “on notice.” In his first public remarks since taking office, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn accused Barack Obama’s administration of having “failed to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions.” Flynn cited a recent missile test and the actions of […]

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S. Korea, US defense chiefs back anti-missile system

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea’s defense chief and his new US counterpart vowed Tuesday to push ahead with a plan to deploy a US anti-missile system this year, Seoul’s military said, despite angry protests by China. The two allies last year announced the plan to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system following a series of atomic and missile tests by nuclear-armed North Korea. New US Defense Secretary James Mattis and […]

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South Korea says securing THAAD location could be delayed

SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — The signing of a contract which would secure the location of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea could be delayed, Seoul’s defense ministry said on Monday (January 16). The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is due to be deployed on land which is now part of a golf course owned by the Lotte Group conglomerate in the Seongju region, southeast of South Korea’s capital Seoul. “The […]

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US would ‘not necessarily’ shoot down NKorean missile: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US military would not necessarily shoot down a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, should the country’s leader try to test one, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said in a New Year’s speech that the country was “in the final stages of test-launching the intercontinental ballistic missile.” Carter, whose two-year run as Pentagon chief will come to an end when President Barack Obama leaves […]

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South Korea says Pyongyang will face stronger sanctions if it is to launch an ICBM

SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — South Korean defense ministry on Monday (January 9) called North Korea’s threat to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ‘provocative’ and said Pyongyang will face stronger sanctions if it is to launch it. North Korea declared on Sunday (January 8) it could test-launch the ICBM at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong Un, saying a hostile U.S. policy was to blame for its arms development. Kim […]

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N. Korea holds mass rally to push Kim’s New Year message

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AFP) — Thousands of North Koreans have rallied in Pyongyang, chanting communist slogans and vowing support for leader Kim Jong-Un, who in his New Year’s message announced plans to test-fire a ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Clad in thick winter coats and pumping their fists in the air, those assembled in Kim Il-Sung square chanted “long live comrade Kim Jong-Un” and held banners proclaiming “let us accelerate the victorious […]

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S. Korea vows US missile system as opposition lawmakers head to China

SEOUL , South Korea (AFP) — South Korea is committed to deploying an advanced US missile defense system this year despite opposition from China, a minister said Wednesday, even as opposition lawmakers headed to Beijing with a different message. Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the South after a string of North Korean nuclear and missile tests — prompting strong objections from China. “THAAD deployment is […]

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North Korea nuclear threat Trump’s first challenge

by Nicolas REVISE Dave Clark Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — North Korea’s determined quest for a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland is the first major US foreign policy challenge of the Donald Trump era. And, less than three weeks before he takes office, Trump has already plunged into these most dangerous of waters with a warning to unpredictable dictator Kim Jong-un. Kim marked the New Year by announcing that […]

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No N. Korea missile will be capable of reaching US: Trump

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter again on Monday evening to promise North Korea would not develop a nuclear missile capable of reaching US territory. His comments come a day after the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, appeared to try to put pressure on Trump by announcing his country is in the “final stages” of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). “North Korea just stated that it is in the final […]

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