Donald Trump reiterated that he had ordered Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to "substantially" reduce joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, accusing them of sending a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to Pyongyang. In a post on Truth Social, Trump explained that he had made the decision based on his "excellent relations" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the fact that, in his opinion, Pyongyang had shown itself to be "non-threatening and respectful" towards the United States during his presidency. The exercises, he added, are also "expensive".
In the message, Trump then reported that he had recently asked the South Korean president if Seoul was interested in participating in American efforts for the "denuclearization" of Iran. The answer, according to the US president, was: "No, thank you!". Trump clarified that the reference to the Iranian issue is "somewhat unrelated" to the topic of the exercises.
