The possibility of the US unilaterally attacking North Korea was a major concern just a couple of months prior, and while it’s dropped out of the headlines, the risk of a US attack hasn’t really gone anywhere, with National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster saying that a new set of options have been created for President Trump to respond to North Korea.

And when they say options, what they really mean are plans for military attacks, as McMaster confirmed every single one of the options prepared includes the US attacking North Korea militarily, and would be carried out in the event of another nuclear test, or even a ballistic missile test by the north.

McMaster confirmed that the “threat is much more immediate now,” and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley claimed the administration believes North Korea’s progress toward the capability of hitting the mainland is advancing much more quickly than they’d previously expected.

McMaster also accused North Korea of “holding South Korea hostage” by having the capability of retaliating against them if South Korea and the US attack, rejecting diplomacy as the failed policy of the past, and suggesting the US is prepared to attack North Korea to ensure they don’t eventually have a retaliatory capability against the US directly.