Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry said: “The US is trying to use the DPRK’s legitimate self-defensive measures as an excuse to strangle and completely suffocate it,” referring to its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

The resolution the security council was set to vote on late last night was greatly watered down from that proposed by the US last week.

After negotiations between the US and Chinese envoys, demands for a complete oil embargo, foreign asset freeze and authorisation to board and search North Korean cargo ships by force were all removed.