North Korea says it has revamped and restarted all its atomic bomb fuel production plants.
The announcement today will further worsen ties between Pyongyang and the outside world.
It is likely an attempt to put pressure on the United States to restart talks that could eventually provide the impoverished North with concessions and ease rigid international sanctions.
The declaration in state media follows Pyongyang’s warning on Monday that it is ready to launch “satellites” aboard long-range rockets that the West considers banned long-range missiles meant to eventually threaten America’s mainland with atomic bombs.
The North says the launches would mark the ruling communist party’s anniversary next month.
KCNA (The propaganda broadcaster of the totalitarian nation) said this morning that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was ready to face US hostility with “nuclear weapons any time”.
However, the full scope of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities is unclear.
Pyongyang claims it has made a device small enough to fit a nuclear warhead on to a missile, which it could launch at its enemies.
However, US officials have cast doubt on this claim and experts say it is difficult to assess the progress North Korea has made on miniaturisation.