The US Navy have directed a nuclear submarine to pass through the Panama Canal.

The large submarine was pictured travelling through the artificial waterway which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans between North and South America on Wednesday.

The Panama Canal Authority confirmed the vessel was a US Navy nuclear submarine after images of armed soldiers pacing across the deck appeared online, La Estrella de Panamá reported.

The move comes amid rising military tensions between the US and North Korea.

Images of armed soldiers atop the submarine have been posted online. (Facebook)

The US Navy struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack earlier this month.

The military also dropped the largest non-nuclear device in its history, known as "the mother of all bombs", on caves and tunnels used by Islamic State militants in Afghanistan on Thursday.

The military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan have caused outcry from the nations' allies, Russia and North Korea.

North Korean officials have warned they are prepared for an "all-out war" and would carry out a pre-emptive strike if there were any signs of aggression from the US.

Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol said the nation will continue to conduct nuclear tests in defiance of United Nations sanctions after a failed operation this week.

The North Korean military have also said it is developing weapons with the potential to hit the US mainland.