Seoul is shaken by Washington tying the joint exercises to Iran

Trump announced on social media that joint exercises with South Korea will be cut back sharply because they send an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea, adding that Seoul had declined to join the war against Iran. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise was shortened from eleven days to five. South Korean officials say they learned of it from a post rather than through diplomatic channels, and the debate over a national nuclear weapon has revived.

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