Seoul says talks underway on shifting US Patriot defences to Middle East

Cho Hyun, the foreign minister of South Korea, said the United States and South Korean militaries are discussing the possible redeployment of some US Patriot missile defence systems currently stationed in South Korea to support operations in the war against Iran.

Cho made the remarks while responding to a question during a parliamentary hearing. He said the discussions involve the potential transfer of a portion of the Patriot air defence assets operated by the United States Armed Forces and deployed on South Korean territory.

The comments come amid reports suggesting that the US military could soon be forced to conserve its air defence systems because of sustained Iranian attacks on American assets in the Middle East.

However, senior US military officials have rejected those claims. Earlier this week, during a briefing, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles remains “extremely strong.”

By Tamilla Hasanova