North Korea has threatened to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States.

An unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry says the North will exercise its right for “pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors”.

The spokesman claims Washington is pushing to start a nuclear war against North Korea.

The threat comes hours ahead of a vote by UN diplomats on whether to level new sanctions against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test.

Inflammatory rhetoric is common from North Korea, however it has become more regular in recent days.

The North has been angered by the possible sanctions and over upcoming US-South Korean military drills.

The UN Security Council is set to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Pyongyang in a fresh attempt to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the current council president, said the council will vote on the draft sanctions resolution on Thursday morning.

The resolution was drafted by the United States and China, North Korea’s closest ally.

The council’s agreement to put the resolution to a vote just 48 hours later signalled that it would almost certainly have the support of all 15 council members.

Although North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs and pre-emptive strikes, the country is not thought to have mastered the ability to produce a warhead small enough to put on a missile capable of reaching the US.

It is believed to have enough nuclear fuel, however, for several crude nuclear devices.

[adrotate banner=”46″]