North Korea shattered a two-month period of relative quiet by test-firing a missile that analysts say may put the US east coast in range, Bloomberg reports. Japan said the intercontinental ballistic missile flew for 53 minutes on a lofted trajectory and may have reached an altitude of more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) before landing in waters about 250 kilometers from its northwest coast. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that it flew higher than any previous North Korean launch. US President Donald Trump, who has previously threatened “fire and fury” against Kim Jong Un’s regime, had a measured response, telling reporters that “we will take care of that situation.” The president spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe but didn’t discuss military options, Japan’s top government spokesman said. He also spoke with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in. The launch demonstrated progress in North Korea’s quest to obtain the ability to strike the US.
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