US officials claim confrontation with North Korea not imminent

"The US military is locked and loaded every day," HR McMaster said.

Senior US national security officials have said a military confrontation with North Korea is not imminent, but they cautioned that the possibility of war is greater than it was a decade ago.

CIA director Mike Pompeo and HR McMaster, Donald Trump's national security adviser, tried to provide assurances that a conflict is avoidable, while also supporting the president's tough talk.