President Trump ordered the Pentagon on Sunday to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying it declined to help denuclearize Iran and citing his good relationship with North

Trump directs Pentagon to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing cost and tensions with North Korea.

SEOUL, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he ordered the Pentagon to scale back its joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and saying that Seoul declined to help with the denuclearization of Iran.

Donald Trump said South Korea declined his request to join US efforts to denuclearise Iran. He said the refusal, along with his view of North Korea, led him to order a substantial reduction in joint military exercises with Seoul.

Trump orders Pentagon to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing costs and Seoul’s refusal to join actions against Iran. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

US President Donald Trump's announcement comes a day before the start of the annual drills in South Korea, which Pyongyang has decried as dress rehearsals for an invasion.

"Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties," South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Saturday (Aug 15).

President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea after the Republican president said it declined to help denuclearize Iran.