US to do everything to avoid nuclear war with North Korea

US treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin yesterday said the administration wanted to avoid nuclear war with North Korea

"The president doesn't want to be in a nuclear war, and we will do everything we can to make sure that doesn't occur," said Mnuchin.

"I can assure you the president's number one priority is the safety of the American people and our allies," he added.

According to commentators, Mnuchin is the latest top official to offer reassurance following US president Donald Trump's increasing tension with North Korean threats, according to Xinhua.

In a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said the US "will have no choice than to totally destroy" the country if forced to defend itself or its allies.

Following the threat North Korea said it might test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, a new poll yesterday found that an overwhelming majority of US citizens oppose a preemptive strike on North Korea and most Americans trust US military leaders instead of Trump to handle the nuclear crisis responsibly.

According to the Washington Post-ABC News poll, 67 per cent of US citizens believe that the US should launch a military strike on the North Korea only if the country first attacks them or their allies.

Meanwhile, Mnuchin defended the use of a military plane to make the short hop from New York to Washington in August and said he needed to make a secure call during the flight.