Top US general says he would resist any 'illegal' Trump nuclear strike orders

The top US nuclear commander told an international security forum he would resist Donald Trump if he ordered an "illegal" nuclear weapons strike.

Air Force general John Hyten, a commander of the US Strategic Command, spoke at the Halifax international security forum in Nova Scotia, in Canada, on Saturday.

Responding to a question on Mr Trump's threats of nuclear war with North Korea, Mr Hyten said: "I think some people think we're stupid.

"We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?

"I provide advice to the president, and he will tell me what to do.

"And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say 'Mr President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do?

"He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, often a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is.

"That's the way it works. It's not complicated. If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life."

Trump has traded insults with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in recent months, branding him his "little rocket man".

Some US senators are demanding changes to the president's executive authority to launch nuclear strikes.