Reuters journalist Warren Strobel and Lesley Wroughton argues that most options to deal with North Koreas nuclear threat fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.
Economic sanctions
North Korea is already among the most heavily sanctioned nations, facing numerous strictures to limit its ability to conduct commerce, participate in international finance and trade in weapons and other contraband.
Despite those measures, "most analysts agree that US and multilateral sanctions have not prevented North Korea from advancing its fledgling nuclear weapons capability," said a report last year from the US Congressional Research Service.
Trump is reportedly focusing his North Korea strategy for now on tougher sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, banning its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang.
Covert action
The US, with help from Israel, temporarily set back Iran's nuclear program via a computer virus called Stuxnet, which destroyed thousands of centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
Another semi-covert approach would be for Washington to use electronic warfare or cyber attacks to disable North Korean missiles during or shortly after their launch.
Diplomacy
The Trump administration has said it is open to diplomatic negotiations with North Korea, but only under the right conditions. The talks need to be aimed at denuclearisation, Washington has said.
Military force
Military options available to Trump range from a sea blockade aimed at enforcing sanctions to cruise missile strikes on nuclear and missile facilities to a broader campaign aimed at overthrowing leader Kim Jong Un.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has warned the consequences of any military action would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale". Any US military action brings severe risks for US ally South Korea.
Reuters
