WATCH: Trump says North Korea is ‘behaving badly and it’s got to stop’

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump says North Korea “is behaving badly and it’s got to stop.”

Trump says military action is an option against a nuclear-armed North Korea, but “nothing is inevitable.”

He says he would prefer not to go the military route, but he says it could happen — and if it did, it would be “a very sad day for North Korea.”

Trump was speaking at a White House news conference after meeting the leader of Kuwait.

During the news conference, Trump praised Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah for taking a leadership role in trying to end a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors.

Trump applauded Kuwait’s “critical contributions to regional stability.” He urged the parties to the dispute — Qatar on one side and Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the other — to embrace the emir’s initiative.

READ MORE: What’s behind the dramatic diplomatic rift with Qatar?

Trump says all the countries involved are “essential partners” in the fight against Islamic State group.

When the dispute erupted three months ago, Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia but later instructed his team to support Kuwait’s mediation efforts. But the dispute has dragged on.