Trump pressures Seoul over Iran and investment

South Korea has said US President Donald Trump may be using pressure on Seoul to push progress on several unresolved issues, including Washington’s position on the Iran conflict and South Korean investment in the United States.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Trump’s decision to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea appeared to carry several messages. He said Washington could be seeking greater support from Seoul for its efforts related to the war in Iran. He also linked the move to other pending matters between the two countries.

One major issue is South Korea’s investment commitment of $350 billion in the United States. The investment was agreed under a trade deal signed last year. Seoul has not yet announced full details of how the money will be invested.

Cho said Washington had sent South Korea a proposal covering possible investment projects. However, Seoul needs to examine their commercial value and complete legal procedures before moving forward. He said several unexpected issues had also slowed the process.

Meanwhile, South Korea and the United States have agreed to reduce the duration of their annual military exercises. The drills will now last five days instead of 11. Some field training activities will also be scaled back.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the decision could also support efforts to improve relations with North Korea. He suggested that Trump may be considering another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Military exercises have long been a major source of tension between Washington, Seoul and Pyongyang.

Tensions have also increased between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE said it detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran. According to Emirati authorities, the missiles appeared to target maritime traffic. Both missiles fell into the sea.

Iran rejected the UAE’s claim. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the statement as baseless.

The UAE later announced the suspension of trade activities, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice. Officials said the decision followed an escalation that they believed threatened regional and international peace and security.

The missile incident came after a 60-day period for US-Iran peace talks ended without a major breakthrough. The failure to reach an agreement has increased concerns about further escalation. The conflict has also disrupted shipping activity around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

UAE authorities said the country remained fully prepared to deal with security threats. Residents were earlier alerted about the missile threat. Authorities later said the situation was safe and urged people to resume normal activities.

At the same time, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Baghdad for talks with Iraqi officials. He travelled with a high-level delegation at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart.

Ghalibaf said the visit would focus on strengthening cooperation between Iran and Iraq. Discussions are expected to cover economic, political, cultural, social and security matters.

The Iranian parliament speaker is also expected to meet senior Iraqi officials and other political, economic and cultural figures. He described relations between Tehran and Baghdad as important and fundamental for developments in the region.

Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation with UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They discussed regional security and tensions involving Iran.

The talks also covered Lebanon and efforts by Washington and Abu Dhabi to respond to attacks attributed to Iran and groups aligned with Tehran. Rubio stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to navigation.

Meanwhile, a cargo ship was hit by several unidentified projectiles off Yemen’s western coast. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said it received a report of the incident around 40 nautical miles southeast of Mokha.