The United States says it expects the United Nations to make a strong statement to North Korea that provocations and threats to regional stability will not be tolerated.

In a daily news briefing, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said the U.S. is looking at a range of options in terms of additional capabilities, military exercises and other training programs to deter further provocations by the North.

He expressed hope that the North Korean leadership will understand the situation it has placed itself in, adding that Pyongyang needs to take irreversible steps to fulfill its denuclearization commitments, comply with international law and stop provocative behavior.

This U.S. remark on a U.N. statement is believed to reflect a shift from pursuing a U.N. resolution to a chairman's statement against Pyongyang due to China's reluctance to get on board with additional sanctions on the North.