The USS John McCain, a U.S. Navy destroyer, is ready to get orders to intercept a North Korean ship if it leaves the vicinity off the coast of China, according to a senior U.S. defense official, quoted by Fox News. The North Korean ship is being suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution approved a week ago, the news channel added.
The North Korean vessel left its port Wednesday and is heading toward Singapore. Pyongyang has already warned that any attempt to stop its ships would be viewed as an act of war.
This development comes as a Japanese report said that North Korea may launch a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in the 4th of July. On his part, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated Thursday he has "some concerns" regarding the possibility that North Korea would launch a missile in the direction of Hawaii. However, security experts claimed North Korea has no such capability.
