North Korea's vow to react with a nuclear strike if the United States launched an attack was "deeply hypothetical," the White House said on Monday.
In a war of words with Washington over North Korea's suspected plans to test-fire a long-range missile, Pyongyang promised an "annihilating strike" if attacked by the United States.
"It is a statement about what may happen if something that hasn't happened, happened ... it is still deeply hypothetical," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.