US Cancels 2nd South Korea Drill as Iran War and Kim Push Rattle Asian Allies
Updated
Updated · AsiaOne · Aug 24
US Cancels 2nd South Korea Drill as Iran War and Kim Push Rattle Asian Allies
3 articles · Updated · AsiaOne · Aug 24
Summary
A second US-South Korea exercise due next month was canceled after Washington cited Iran-war strain on forces, deepening the fallout from Trump's earlier decision to scale back another drill.
Trump has framed the exercises as hostile to Pyongyang and is seeking to restart talks with Kim Jong-un, while a White House official said he is also pressing allies to spend more on defense.
Japan fears the move could weaken deterrence and give Trump leverage in talks over host-nation support, while October's Keen Sword drills may already be smaller after US assets shifted to the Middle East.
Taiwan is watching as Trump holds up a $14 billion arms package ahead of a summit with Xi Jinping, and Indian officials have grown more cautious about long-term US defense deals.
Across Asia, officials and analysts said the drill cancellations reinforce doubts about US reliability just as partners face pressure from North Korea, China and broader regional security strains.