South Korea says can’t stop US forces from redeploying weapons

South Korea President Lee Jae Myung stated on Tuesday that Seoul cannot stop US forces in Korea from shipping certain weapons out of the country. “It appears that there is a controversy recently over US forces in Korea shipping some weapons out of the country,” Lee said, noting that while Seoul had expressed opposition, it was not in a position to make demands.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun added on Friday that the U.S. and South Korean militaries were discussing the possible redeployment of some Patriot missile systems currently based in South Korea. These systems could potentially be used in the ongoing Middle East conflict, according to officials. The discussions highlight the continued coordination between Seoul and Washington on both regional security in East Asia and global military commitments.

Lee’s statement comes after the United States considered relocating key missile defense systems stationed in South Korea to West Asia amid a prolonged war on Iran.

According to South Korean media reports, the potential redeployment could include Patriot (PAC-3) batteries and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system currently operated by US Forces Korea (USFK).

This comes as the IRGC Public Relations announced that “precision missiles launched by the IRGC Aerospace Force have struck and disabled the second US THAAD missile defense system in West Asia, putting it out of service.”

The statement added that the “THAAD radar stationed at Al-Ruwais base in the United Arab Emirates had been destroyed the previous day.” According to the IRGC, with the elimination of these two systems, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s missile capabilities are now able to reach their intended targets successfully.

Pentagon seeks funding to replenish missiles
On a related note, the Pentagon is rushing to secure funding to support military operations and replenish munitions used during the aggression on Iran, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) citing sources familiar with the matter.

Officials at the US Department of Defense are reportedly preparing plans to rebuild US weapons stockpiles that were heavily used in operations against Iran over the past week.

Members of Congress and defense industry officials expect the Pentagon to request additional funding to cover the costs of the war. According to informed sources, the new funding would help finance the purchase of Patriot, Tomahawk, and THAAD missile systems, which are central to the US and “Israel’s” attacks.

Satellite images have shown that the radar system of a US THAAD missile defense battery at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan was struck and likely destroyed during the early days of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Satellite imagery also indicates that military installations hosting THAAD batteries in the UAE may have been targeted.

The ongoing aggressions in West Asia have drained parts of the US arsenal, adding another challenge for the Pentagon as it seeks to finance what could become an open-ended war. The US Defense Department is also facing pressure from a defense industrial base that was already strained by efforts to meet current military demand and prepare for potential threats from China.