Tensions between the US and North Korea have continued to rise as today the North Korean government accused the Obama Administration of plotting to invade the nation and planning to launch a nuclear war against them.

In the weeks since North Korea’s nuclear weapons test, the rhetoric between the two nations has gone from its usual distrust to overt hostility, and at present, a US Navy destroyer is following a North Korean cargo ship they suspect of carrying “prohibited materials” while officials warn of a potential North Korean missile test early next month.

That long-rumored test, according to Japanese defense officials, may involve firing a Taepodong-2 missile over Aomori prefecture and toward Hawaii sometime between July 4 and July 8. Though it seems unlikely the missile has the range to actually hit Hawaii, the US has taken the step of dispatching additional missile defense systems to the area.

President Obama has sought to downplay any concerns about the launch, insisting the US is “prepared for any contingencies” and that “the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted.” At the same time, Obama seemed eager to use this as another excuse to condemn the North Koreans for “belligerence and provocation.”

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