Shortly after the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), the Department of Defense announced that it had successfully test-launched an intermediate-range missile.

The test came shortly after the Pentagon revealed that is was considering new missile deployments in East Asia, with Japan or South Korea among the primary potential locations for installation.

The North Korean government slammed the recent missile test, claiming that such undertakings risked sparking a “new Cold War” in East Asia. 

Meanwhile, China and Russia engaged in a heated exchangewith U.S. officials at a UN Security Council meeting convened to address Washington’s intent