REUTERS
The UN Security Council has strongly condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch, warning that it's prepared to hit back with tougher sanctions, according to Deutsche Welle.
In a unanimous statement, the United Nations Security Council said it would take strong measures in response to what it described as North Korea's "highly destabilizing behavior and provocative defiance," DW wrote.
The warning came after Pyongyang said it had successfully tested a new kind of ballistic missile on Sunday that was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
The council urged North Korea to show "sincere commitment to denuclearization through concrete action" and stressed the importance of "working to reduce tensions."
Read alsoN. Korea: New rocket can carry nuclear warhead – mediaThe 15-member body, which includes main Pyongyang ally China, also demanded that the North "conduct no further nuclear and ballistic missile tests," and vowed to take tough measures, potentially including new sanctions.
The UN first imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006. Since then, it has progressively strengthened the measures in response to the pariah state's five nuclear tests and two long-range rocket launches. The sanctions have mainly targeted coal exports, banking, luxury goods and equipment that could be used by the military.
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, told ABC television that new sanctions against North Korea could hit oil imports and energy.
The Security Council is expected to discuss the possibility of further sanctions at an emergency session on Tuesday.