North Korean banks subject to international sanctions haverecently been banned by Swift from using its global financialmessaging service, according to a statement from the Belgium-basedSociety for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.

Swift said it had recently been informed by Belgian authoritiesthat they would no longer provide the “necessary authorizations”for it to continue offering services to North Korean banks coveredby United Nations sanctions. “As a result, Swift suspended accessof UN-designated North Korean entities to the Swift financialmessaging service,” the statement said.

North Korea has further stoked regional tension by firing fourballistic missiles into the sea near Japan Monday. In response, theU.S. reaffirmed its military alliance with Japan and has announcedthe start of the deployment of its Thaad missile-defense system inSouth Korea.