North Korea is under extreme international pressure to shelve its nuclear missile programme after the hermit nation fired a test missile over Japan.
Kim Jong-un’s missile tests sparked fears of World War 3 as tension between Pyongyang and Washington escalate.
A former United States ambassador to the United Nations has warned the crisis could become “real serious” if it continues at its current rate.
United States President Donald Trump blasted the Kim regime for its “threatening and destabilising” missile launch on Tuesday morning.
Mr Trump has since tweeted suggesting “talking isn’t the answer” when dealing with North Korea and its nuclear weapons programme.
He wrote: “The US has been talking to North Korea and paying them extortion money for 25 years.
“Talking is not the answer!”
John Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, warned military action might be the only option as the world runs “out of time” with North Korea.
He told Fox News: “This launch is very, very serious.
“Obviously a missile that could land in the east of Japan could land on Japan. When a missile is on a launch pad and in its boost phase, you don’t know what the target is.
“This is the kind of existential question that President Trump could be confronted with, maybe next year when the North Koreans put a missile on the pad we know could reach the United States with a nuclear warhead – what’s he going to do?
“That’s why we have really run out of time for diplomatic options with North Korea. Secretary Tillerson keeps talking about it, honestly it’s a needless diversion.
“We have very few diplomatic plays left to make, and so, I think, we’ve got to get real serious about explaining to North Korea in demonstrating to them and to China that we’re not going to let this capability survive.
Mr Bolton added: “We’ve had 25 years of failed policy, and obviously the risk we face if we have to take out North Korea’s nuclear programme, the risk is to the innocent civilians population of South Korea if Kim Jong-un retaliates against them.
“I don’t want to see anything bad happen to the civilians of South Korea, but here’s something else – I don’t want to see anything bad happen to the civilians of the United States either.”