A massive missile strike by the United States targeting North Korea's many nuclear weapons facilities might be the only option left for U.S. president Donald Trump, claims the former U.S. Army general who Trump once offered the post of Secretary of Defense.

That option is likely under serious study by the Pentagon and the deployment a few days ago of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and its carrier strike group, in the Sea of Japan off the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula seems to be a key piece in this plan.

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U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said it is "prudent" to send the carrier strike group to the Sea of Japan. He described North Korea as a rogue, nuclear-armed nation engaged in provocative behavior.

"The president has asked them (Trump's advisers) to be prepared to give us a full range of options to remove that threat," he noted.

"A pre-emptive strike against launch facilities, underground nuclear sites, artillery and rocket response forces and regime leadership targets may be the only option left on the table," claims John Keane, a retired four-star general and former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He's currently chairman of the board for the Institute for the Study of War.

Keane was also Trump's first choice for Secretary of Defense, a post Keane turned down citing the death of this wife.

His thinking is remarkably similar to that of Trump's, who said before meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping on April 6 that "China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won't."

 "If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will."

Keane's grim predictions seem to indicate he sees no diplomatic solution to the North Korean nuclear weapon crisis.

"Our last three presidents spanning over 20 years have failed to stop the North Korean nuclear program," he said.

Two days ago, however, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson insisted the United States doesn't intend to try to remove the regime of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.

"That is not our objective and so the whole reasons underlying the development of a nuclear program in North Korea are simply not credible," said Tillerson.

He said the United States expects China, the main ally of North Korea, to do more to exert influence over the erratic and unpredictable Kim.

"They have indicated that they will and I think we need to allow them time to take actions," said Tillerson.

TagsNorth Korea, nuclear weapons facilities, donald trump, John Keane, H.R. McMaster, USS Carl Vinson, rex tillerson