Australia hits back at North Korea threats

Australia's Government has hit back at North Korea, saying it won't be cowed by the rogue state's threats.

The Pyongyang regime has criticised Australia's "dangerous moves" in its support for the US in its "frenzied political and military provocations" against North Korea. "Should Australia continue to follow the US in imposing military, economic and diplomatic pressure upon the DPRK despite our repeated warnings, they will not be able to avoid a disaster," state-run news agency KCNA warned.

The statement came after a visit to South Korea last week by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne during which they met their counterparts and stressed the need to thwart North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

"We will not be cowed by the North Koreans," Defence Personnel Minister Dan Tehan told Sky News. "We will continue to do everything we can to protect and help and support our allies."

North Korea is believed to be preparing to launch another ballistic missile in retaliation for an forthcoming joint naval drill by the US and South Korea. The US Navy said that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier will lead the 10-day drill this coming week, as another show of force against dictator Kim Jong Un's ongoing nuclear and weapons programme.

Pyongyang immediately renewed its threat to fire missiles at the US Pacific territory of Guam, warning that "reckless moves" by the US would compel it to take action.

Meanwhile, another key area of US foreign policy conflict - Iran - is widening mutual disdain between the US and allies.

Just before US President Donald Trump announced that he would decertify the Iran nuclear deal, French President Emmanuel Macron called his counterpart in Tehran to offer reassurance. No matter what Trump said, he told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Europe would continue to back the agreement. The Europeans were only interested in Iran's money, Trump scoffed to reporters later that day.

Trump sees the traditional US allies as self-interested freeloaders who must be reminded of US power. They see him as an erratic force who must be managed as he squanders American leadership. Republican and Democratic lawmakers were largely split in their reactions to Trump's announcement that he would terminate the nuclear deal if Congress didn't come up with a way to rewrite it to his liking..

Democrats warned that Trump's insistence on changing the agreement risked conflict and would be opposed by US negotiating partners who had also signed it - Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. When Trump invited them to join him in holding Iran's feet to the fire, Russia and China said there was nothing to talk about. The Europeans said they were eager to discuss their complaints about Iran - its missile programme and support for terrorism - but that there could be no changes in the nuclear deal. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini bordered on scornful, saying that the deal "is not a domestic issue" and "does not belong to any single country" to demand changes.

Several senior European officials said their plan is to convince US lawmakers that there was much to lose if they take the path Trump has set for Congress.

- Telegraph Group Ltd, Washington Post, AAP