On November 28, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement condemning the launch of North Korea’s Hwasong-15 missile and calling for the international community to “take additional measures to enhance maritime security, including the right to interdict maritime traffic transporting goods to and from the DPRK.”

This is a continuation of the U.S. policy of “maximum pressure” on North Korea: using sanctions and diplomatic pressure to try and force Pyongyang to abandon its missile and nuclear program without resorting to a costly military intervention.

And in that regard, it appears the