WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday said the United States still sees a political agreement on denuclearization as the best path forward on North Korea, but that American forces remained prepared to fight if necessary.

“We would urge restraint by Kim Jong Un,” Esper said in an interview on Fox News.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)