Donald Trump says South Korea's president told him "No thanks!" to Iran denuclearization request

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has directed the Defense Department to cut back sharply on war games conducted with South Korea, posting the decision on Truth Social just before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills were set to begin. The exercises, scheduled for August 17–27, involve about 18,000 South Korean troops. Trump wrote that the training is expensive and sends a hostile message to North Korea, which he called unthreatening and respectful during his presidency, and cited his strong relationship with leader Kim Jong Un. He also said he recently asked South Korea’s president to take part in eliminating Iran’s nuclear program, but the request was declined. The Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond. North Korea routinely condemns the drills as invasion preparations and recently launched missiles.