North Korea has denounced the joint military exercises and annual security talks between Seoul and Washington, accusing the allies of openly expressing hostile intent toward Pyongyang.

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol said the U.S. has deliberately escalated political and military tensions on the Korean Peninsula with its brazen military moves.

The minister took issue with a recent visit to South Korea by the nuclear-powered USS George Washington aircraft carrier during the allies’ combined air drills, as well as the annual Security Consultative Meeting between their defense chiefs after a visit to the Demilitarized Zone.

The minister said Pyongyang will not hesitate to respond to Washington’s hostility, warning that all threats encroaching on the regime’s security will be “managed in a necessary way.”

The statement made no direct reference to the ballistic missile that Pyongyang fired Friday.