After a brief period of subdued activity, North Korea reignited tensions by launching a missile over Japan on August 28 and conducting the country’s sixth nuclear test on September 3. Asked about the possibility of military options, President Donald Trump responded: “We’ll see what happens. Certainly, that’s not our first choice, but we will see what happens.”

After the test, Secretary of Defense Mattis summed up a National Security meeting with the President, saying, “Any threat to the United States or its territory, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response