South Korea says US cancelled upcoming joint marine exercises over Iran war

What the report says

South Korea says the United States has cancelled a planned joint amphibious landing exercise, known as Ssangyong, that was due next month. A South Korean Marine Corps spokesman said the US side notified Seoul in June that its ability to deploy forces for the drill would be limited because of the war involving the US, Israel and Iran. The exercise is normally held every two years and is intended to improve combined marine operations through amphibious landing training with ships, aircraft and ground units.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, South Korean and US forces were still discussing whether the drill could be resumed, but no details were given. The Pentagon did not immediately comment. The cancellation appears to come after a separate decision by US President Donald Trump to scale back another annual joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, which had just ended and was reduced from 11 days to five.

The broader context is a period of strain in regional security planning, with North Korea continuing to oppose joint US-South Korea drills and recently firing short-range ballistic missiles after the exercises were cut back. Al Jazeera also noted that Trump has reiterated interest in improving ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, even as Pyongyang expands its nuclear arsenal.