North Korea‘s latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch could indicate the rogue country could soon strike the continental United States.
Mr Sexton said: “When this is the response to diplomacy, this act of extreme defiance from Kim Jong-un, is incredibly discouraging because time is not on our side here.
“They are on a progression, they are moving closer and closer to being able to hit us with a nuclear weapon here in the US homeland as we know. We can’t just continue to hope diplomacy will work.”
The former CIA analyst said options to address North Korea are dwindling as time goes by.
North Korea resumed testing after a brief lull in missile launches as US President Donald Trump prepared to meet with allies in East Asia.
Speaking to Fox News, Mr Sexton added: “We are running out of options and we are running out of time. This was a period that people were hoping would end with at least some opening for diplomacy, that there would be some different path that the regime in Pyongyang would be willing to take in response to the pressures that have been applied.
“The Trump administration has been very aggressive in dealing with this issue and forthright in that it’s going to work with regional countries trying to get more pressure on North Korea economically and diplomatically.
“As I said, there aren’t any good options and the ones we have are getting smaller and smaller as time goes on.”
North Korea TV suggested the latest addition to Kim’s arsenal is capable to reach the continental US and could be equipped with a nuclear head – an addition which would have devastating consequences for the US population.
Pyongyang has ignored calls from the international community to end its nuclear development programme and enter diplomatic talks with the US and neighbouring South Korea.
North Korea defends its weapons programs as a necessary defense against US plans to invade.
The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention.
Former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka said the United States would be ready to respond should ‘little Kim’ persevere with his aggressive rhetoric against North Korea’s neighbours.
He said: “If you threaten us, if you are a tin-pot bully like the regime in North Korea and little Kim, then sooner or later you will pay for your threats. That’s where we have reached today.”
President Trump’s former aide added the US could do “amazing things” in order to stop North Korea but specified the US threat was focused on the Kim regime, not his people.