US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that if North Korea was to fire a missile at the United States, the situation could escalate into war, reported Reuters news agency.

“If they fire at the United States, it could escalate into war very quickly,” Mattis told reporters.

Mattis said the United States would know the trajectory of a North Korean missile “within moments” and if a missile is assessed to be hitting Guam, “we will take it out.”