Military.com reports that “North Korea has accused Washington of planning a preemptive nuclear strike, after the U.S. announced it would deploy its B-1 bomber in the Pacific for the first time in a decade.”

“The strategic aircraft were to be deployed on Saturday on the U.S. island of Guam, the U.S. military said last month, describing the operation as a routine rotation with the B-52 bomber.”

“Tensions have been running high since North Korea — officially named the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea (DPRK) — carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a barrage of missile launches that this month reached Japanese waters directly for the first time.”