South Korea to help keep Hormuz Strait open
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, November 3, 2026. STRINGER / REUTERS South Korea's defense ministry said Thursday, November 5, that it would deploy maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal team to waters near the Strait of Hormuz as part of a mission to help keep the waterway open. The announcement comes as Seoul maintains it will not deploy troops to intervene militarily in the Iran war, while seeking to protect commercial shipping and energy supplies through one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.
The US-Iran war that began on February 28 has disrupted shipping through the Hormuz strait, a vital conduit for global energy supplies that normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil. The defense ministry confirmed reports that the government plans to expand the operational area of its Cheonghae anti-piracy naval unit, which protects commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, to waters near the Strait of Hormuz, a defense ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
Read more South Korea to invest $200 billion in US energy The deployment will include a destroyer, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater exploration, Yonhap News Agency reported. 'Protect our citizens and economic interests' Extending the deployment of the Cheonghae unit – currently authorized until the end of this year – will require parliamentary approval, Yonhap said.
"The enhancement of the Cheonghae unit's mission is to protect our citizens and safeguard our economic interests," a defense ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity. The official said the reinforcement is strictly for non-combat purposes and the unit will operate independently of allied forces. "Operations will remain restricted to the open waters south of Oman, and the maritime patrol aircraft will be prohibited from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz during their missions," he said.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article never says the expansion followed pressure from Donald Trump, who had criticised Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war and scaled back joint military drills. Le Monde gives only the ministry's line that the mission is to protect citizens and economic interests. A reader comes away believing Seoul acted on its own initiative for shipping alone, not under pressure from the US to support its war.
How we know
- The Guardian reported“after pressure from Donald Trump to provide support for his war in Iran”South Korea says it will expand naval operations closer to strait of Hormuz (opens in a new tab)
- The Jerusalem Post reported“Trump has criticized Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war”South Korea to expand anti-piracy unit operations closer to Strait of Hormuz (opens in a new tab)
Read more Subscribers only Trump turns back on ally South Korea and signals renewed openness to Kim Jong Un In September, South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung reiterated that South Korea would not deploy troops in a way that could lead to military intervention. "We have upheld the principle of non-involvement and non-intervention in the war until now," he said. "And we will continue to uphold it going forward." Tehran has warned South Korea against any such deployment after Seoul said it was weighing a contribution to the security of the waterway.
Read more Subscribers only With midterms over, fears of renewed US war with Iran Le Monde with AFP
Read the original article on lemonde.fr (opens in a new tab)