The U.S. canceled exercises with the Republic of Korea over the situation in Iran

The United States has canceled the Ssangyong amphibious landing exercises held jointly with the Republic of Korea due to the situation in the Middle East.

This was stated by a representative of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, Han Seung-jong, during a briefing.

"Regarding the Ssangyong exercises, the U.S. Marine Corps officially notified us in June that, given the situation in the Middle East during the period of the Ssangyong exercises, there are restrictions concerning the use of armed forces," said the director of the public relations department of the ROK Marine Corps.

"Although there are some minor difficulties with the timing of the exercises this year, we are continuing consultations with the U.S. Marine Corps on the issue of resuming the exercises in the future," Han Seung-jong added.

These Marine Corps maneuvers are held at the division level once every two years and had been scheduled for September. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a reduction in the scale of the bilateral Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with the Republic of Korea. They ended six days early — on August 21.

At the same time, the JTBC television channel points out that the Republic of Korea was notified back in June, so it is unlikely that the decision is connected with an attempt to establish dialogue with the DPRK. On August 16, Trump recalled his "good relations" with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and stated that the maneuvers send an "inappropriate and hostile signal" to Pyongyang.

The JTBC television channel notes that the Republic of Korea plans to conduct the Ssangyong maneuvers on its own.