\n\n

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

The United States canceled a joint amphibious landing drill scheduled for next month with South Korea, Seoul’s Marine Corps said on Monday, after Washington cited constraints on the availability of U.S. forces due to the war in Iran.

The U.S. Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that force availability would be constrained for the division-level exercise, known as Ssangyong, a South Korean Marine Corps spokesperson told a press briefing.

The allies remain in close consultations on resuming the drills, the spokesperson said. He did not specify what measures might be taken to prevent future cancelations or to make up for lost training opportunities.

U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Later on Monday, the U.S. State Department said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun about a “range of issues” in their alliance.

Rubio told his South Korean counterpart that Washington and Seoul need to remain in close coordination on matters integral to their alliance, according to a State Department statement.

The cancelation of the amphibious landing drill follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise order to scale back a separate annual joint military exercise that ended last Friday, citing the cost and Seoul’s refusal to take part in the Iran war.

Trump also wrote on his Truth Social platform that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills sent “a signal that was totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.” Despite the reduction of the exercises, Pyongyang fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and issued a statement denouncing the exercises.

North Korea has long condemned such joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion.

Related Posts

NETCOM showcases capabilities at TechNet Augusta 2026

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command brought its global network integration mission to TechNet Augusta 2026, demonstrating…

H2F Proponency Transitions to the MCoE advancing the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness System

The H2F System continues to evolve as the US Army’s primary investment in Soldier readiness and lethality and is now aligned under the new Transformatio…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Missed

Lindsay Clancy murder trial continues as closing arguments near | full video

Lindsay Clancy murder trial continues as closing arguments near | full video

Judge in Lindsay Clancy case rejects defense’s call for mistrial

Judge in Lindsay Clancy case rejects defense’s call for mistrial

Massachusetts woman suspected of killing husband found dead

Massachusetts woman suspected of killing husband found dead

Women left behind in high-paying AI job boom, LinkedIn research finds

Women left behind in high-paying AI job boom, LinkedIn research finds

Breaking down Scott Bessent’s comments on Canada, tariffs, Mark Carney

Breaking down Scott Bessent’s comments on Canada, tariffs, Mark Carney

Britain gives Ukraine missile blueprints, and Shein prepares to go public | Global News Podcast

Britain gives Ukraine missile blueprints, and Shein prepares to go public | Global News Podcast