US cancels South Korea joint drill over Iran war constraints
The United States cancelled a joint amphibious landing drill with South Korea, Seoul’s Marine Corps said, after Washington cited force constraints linked to the war in Iran.
Source: The Business Times Singapore · August 24, 2026 at 7:03 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 24 AUGUST 2026 —
The United States cancelled a joint amphibious landing drill with South Korea, Seoul’s Marine Corps said, after Washington cited force constraints linked to the war in Iran.
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The division-level exercise, known as Ssangyong, was set for September but the US Marine Corps notified its South Korean counterpart in June that availability would be limited, a Marine Corps spokesperson said. The allies are consulting on restarting the drills but no details were given on how future cancellations might be avoided.
US Forces Korea did not respond to a request for comment.
The cancellation follows President Donald Trump’s order to scale back a separate annual joint military exercise that ended on Aug 21, citing cost and Seoul’s refusal to join US operations in Iran. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills sent “a signal that was totally inappropriate and hostile” to a country that had been “unthreatening and respectful” under his presidency.
North Korea fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and condemned the exercises as rehearsals for invasion.