South Korea says US cancels joint marine drill over Iran war

SEOUL: South Korea said on Monday (Aug 24) that the United States had cancelled a large joint amphibious landing exercise scheduled for next month due to constraints on force availability caused by the war with Iran.The biennial Ssangyong drills involve marine forces from South Korea and the US and are designed to strengthen combined operations, typically involving warships, aircraft and ground forces rehearsing amphibious landings.The cancellation follows US President Donald Trump's order last week to scale down the separate annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, cutting the joint drills from 11 days to five.Trump at the time cited their high cost and said they sent an "inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea, while highlighting his relationship with its leader, Kim Jong Un. "The