UN offer

The UN nuclear watchdog said it would carry out any verification role it was asked to in North Korea, though that would depend on further talks between Washington and Pyongyang after the two countries’ leaders met yesterday. Dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme — if that is what they agree to — and verifying it is likely to be a large and complex task.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said it is best placed to verify a deal, though it focuses on monitoring nuclear materials and sites rather than disarmament.