Photo courtesy of Anadolu
South Korea has dispatched an assessment team to the United Arab Emirates to review security conditions in the Strait of Hormuz as Seoul weighs possible responses to mounting tensions in the key shipping lane.
The Defense Ministry said the team was sent over the weekend and could return as early as this week, according to Yonhap. Its findings will be submitted to the National Security Council.
A ministry official stressed that the mission was intended to evaluate conditions on the ground and was not based on a decision to deploy South Korean forces.
The ministry also rejected a report claiming that Washington had asked Seoul to decide by November whether it would send troops to the area.
US President Donald Trump had earlier urged South Korea and several other countries to contribute warships to help secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Seoul has so far stopped short of making any military commitment.
South Korea’s presidential office previously said no deployment decision had been made and that different options remained under review. The Defense Ministry has reportedly been examining assets that could be used if a military contribution is eventually approved.
Among the capabilities reportedly being considered are maritime patrol aircraft, bomb disposal personnel and equipment for detecting and clearing sea mines.
The Foreign Ministry said Monday that Seoul was coordinating with other countries and the wider international community to support freedom of navigation through the strait.
Iran, meanwhile, warned that any South Korean military involvement in the Persian Gulf or Strait of Hormuz could bring “serious consequences,” adding another layer of tension to Seoul’s deliberations.