U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Friday that North Korea’s latest missile test did not demonstrate an imminent threat of nuclear attack on the U.S.

According to the Associated Press, when asked by a reporter whether the November 29th test indicated a full capability to strike the United States, Mattis said that it has "not yet shown to be a capable threat against the U.S. right now."

The secretary said that forensic analysis was still under way.

The AP said this apparently refers to intelligence agencies’ study of imagery of the missile's flight and its payload, which presumably included a mock warhead.

The report added that Mattis' remarks suggest that he believes the Trump administration has additional time to pursue diplomacy before resorting to military options to eliminate the North’s nuclear arsenal.

Shortly after the November test, Mattis said the missile flew higher than any previous North Korean test, and that it represented a continued effort to build a missile capable of threatening the U.S. 

North Korea has claimed success over its launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, saying the rocket can lift a heavyweight nuclear warhead and strike anywhere on the U.S. mainland. 

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