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US Warns North Korea That Diplomatic Window Is Closing

July 5, 2017 / 3:46 PM CDT / CBS Texas

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States is warning that North Korea is "quickly closing off" the prospect of a diplomatic resolution to its nuclear provocations.

TOPSHOT - This picture taken on July 4, 2017 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 5, 2017 shows the successful test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location. South Korea and the United States fired off missiles on July 5 simulating a precision strike against North Korea's leadership, in response to a landmark ICBM test described by Kim Jong-Un as a gift to "American bastards". / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. / (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

The Trump administration has launched a government-wide effort to identify options for confronting Pyongyang following its unprecedented intercontinental ballistic missile launch. President

Donald Trump and other senior officials have dangled the prospect of punishing countries that trade with North Korea -- a threat aimed directly at China, Pyongyang's biggest benefactor.

In a tweet Wednesday morning, Trump questioned why the U.S. should continue what he sees as bad trade deals "with countries that do not help us."

Some administration officials are still holding out hope of persuading China to ratchet up economic pressure on Pyongyang, despite Trump's increasingly pessimistic attitude toward Beijing.