N. Korean official blames Trump for region鈥檚 鈥榲icious cycle鈥�

Han Song Ryol, North Korea鈥檚 vice minister of foreign affairs, arrives for an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, April 14, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP)

PYONGYANG: North Korea鈥檚 vice foreign minister told The Associated Press on Friday that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is now in a 鈥渧icious cycle,鈥� and that Pyongyang won鈥檛 鈥渒eep its arms crossed鈥� in the face of a pre-emptive strike by US.
In an exclusive interview with the AP in Pyongyang on Friday, Vice Minister Han Song Ryol also blamed President Donald Trump for raising tensions, saying that his 鈥渁ggressive鈥� tweets were 鈥渕aking trouble.鈥�
Tensions are deepening as the US has sent an aircraft carrier to waters off the peninsula and is conducting its biggest-ever joint military exercises with South Korea. Pyongyang, meanwhile, recently launched a ballistic missile and some experts say it could conduct another nuclear test at virtually anytime.
Trump added to the growing war of words with a tweet on Tuesday that said the North is 鈥渓ooking for trouble.鈥� He added that if China doesn鈥檛 do its part to rein in Pyongyang鈥檚 nuclear ambitions, the US can handle it.
Many North Korea watchers believe North Korea could have a viable nuclear warhead and a ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States鈥� mainland on Trump鈥檚 watch as president 鈥� within the next few years.
Outwardly, there are few signs of concern in North Korea despite the political back and forth. Instead, the country is gearing up for its biggest holiday of the year, the 105th anniversary of the birth of the late Kim Il Sung, the country鈥檚 founder and leader Kim Jong Un鈥檚 grandfather.
The Saturday anniversary may provide the world with a look at some of that arsenal. Expectations are high the North may put its newest missiles on display during a military parade that could be held to mark the event.
At the same time, speculation is growing that Pyongyang may be close to conducting more nuclear or missile tests, despite a raft of international sanctions punishing it over its nuclear weapons program.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned Thursday that North Korea may be capable of firing a missile loaded with sarin nerve gas toward Japan, as international concern mounted that a missile or nuclear test by the authoritarian state could be imminent.