The United States Department of Defense said it takes North Korea’s latest threats to strike targets on the US mainland, Hawaii, and Guam very seriously

The United States Department of Defense has said it takes North Korea’s latest threats to strike targets on the US mainland, Hawaii, and Guam very seriously.

“We are concerned by any threat raised by the North Koreans,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said on Tuesday. “We take everything they say and everything they do very seriously. They need to stop threatening peace -- that doesn’t help anyone.”

“North Korea will achieve nothing by threats or provocations which will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to achieve peace and stability in northeast Asia,” the spokesman said.

“We stand ready to respond to any contingency,” he added.

In a statement on Tuesday, North Korea’s Supreme Command said that it had elevated its artillery and strategic missile forces to “combat-ready posture”, adding that it was ready to strike US territory. The army is now on high alert to “annihilate the enemies at one stroke, once an order for action is given," it noted.