US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said President Donald Trump's "fire and fury" comment last month about North Korea's nuclear program was not an empty threat.

In an interview that aired Sunday with CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union," Haley emphasized that Defense Secretary James Mattis has an array of options to destroy the nation of some 25 million people.

If the US exhausts diplomatic options on North Korea, the US military would "take care of it," Haley said.

"We wanted to be responsible and go through all diplomatic means to get their attention first," Haley said. "If that doesn't work, General Mattis will take care of it."

Haley warned a war would mean the destruction of North Korea.

"If North Korea keeps on with this reckless behavior, if the United States has to defend itself or defend its allies in any way, North Korea will be destroyed," Haley said. "And we all know that, and none of us want that."

Source : Mena