The United States strongly condemned North Korea's missile launches Tuesday, saying it will raise the issue at the U.N. Security Council to hold the communist nation accountable for the provocative actions.

"We strongly condemn these and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

"These provocations only serve to increase the international community's resolve to counter the DPRK's prohibited activities, including through implementing existing U.N. Security Council sanctions," he said. "We intend to raise our concerns at the U.N. to bolster the international resolve in holding the DPRK accountable for these provocative actions."

Kirby also said that the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan "remains ironclad."

"We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation," he said. "We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its commitments and international obligations."