A North Korean diplomat says tensions on the Korean Peninsula are so high that “a war may break out at any moment.”

Ri Jang Gon, North Korea’s deputy permanent representative at the United Nations in Geneva, made the statement on Friday during a speech at the Conference on Disarmament that was held in the Swiss city.

He claimed that Pyongyang is on full alert to promptly react to any retaliation, including an all-out war, as he reiterated Pyongyang’s claim that the North had nothing to do with the sinking of the “Cheonan” naval ship.

South Korea’s delegate to the disarmament gathering, Im Han-taek, expressed deep regret over Ri’s remarks, dismissing them as being mere propaganda.