US cancels drills with South Korea over Iran war-related constraints

The United States has canceled a joint amphibious landing drill planned for next month with South Korea, citing constraints on US forces' availability due to the war in Iran. The US Marine Corps informed its South Korean counterpart in June that force availability would be limited for the division-level exercise, known as Ssangyong.

Seoul's Marine Corps spokesperson said the allies are still in close consultations to resume the drills, but did not reveal potential measures to avoid future cancellations or compensate for lost training opportunities. US Forces Korea did not provide a comment on the matter. The cancellation follows US President Donald Trump's surprise decision to scale back a separate annual joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, citing cost concerns and Seoul's refusal to participate in the Iran war.

Trump further criticized the drills, stating they sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea, which he claimed has remained unthreatening and respectful throughout his presidency. Despite the reduced exercises, North Korea fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and denounced the US-South Korea drills, as North Korea has consistently denounced such joint exercises as potential invasion rehearsals.