US cancels South Korea drills citing Iran war force constraints

The United States has cancelled a major joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korea scheduled for September, citing constraints on the availability of American forces due to the war in Iran. The decision marks the latest adjustment to combined military drills amid shifting U.S. priorities in the region.

Han Seung-jeon, a spokesperson for the South Korean Marine Corps, announced the cancellation on Monday, August 24. He stated that the U.S. Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that its ability to deploy forces for the biennial Ssangyong exercise would be limited. The exercise involves marines from both nations and typically includes warships, aircraft, and ground forces conducting rehearsals for amphibious landings. Han said the allies remain in close consultations on resuming the drills but did not specify details on future plans or compensatory training.

The cancellation follows a directive from U.S. President Donald Trump on August 16 to scale back the separate annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. That drill was reduced from 11 days to five, concluding on August 21. The Pentagon's stated rationale for the drawdown was a need to manage...