The U.S. military is deploying a navy strike group towards the Korean peninsula amid rumors Washington may be considering the reintroduction of tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea or the assassination of Kim Jong Un, it emerged on Sunday.

The Carl Vinson Strike Group, which comprises a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser, was originally scheduled to call on Australia this week, but is now on its way to the Korean peninsula from Singapore.

“U.S. Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the western Pacific,” Commander Dave Benham, a