Iran warns South Korea that action against Tehran in Strait of Hormuz would mean joining the war
Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- An Iranian official warned that South Korean military action against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz would be treated as direct participation in the conflict.
- The warning came as the United States pressed South Korea to deploy resources to the Middle East and Seoul considered possible contributions.
- South Korea has not decided whether to deploy forces, though officials have discussed non-combat assets such as a P-8 patrol aircraft, a support vessel and mine-clearing personnel.
Iran has warned South Korea not to take military action against Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz, saying any such move would amount to direct participation in the U.S. and Israeli “war of aggression” against Iran.
The warning came as the United States repeatedly urged Seoul to expand its contribution in the Middle East. The Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen reported that a senior Iranian security and political official said South Korea should not yield to U.S. pressure to cooperate with what the official called an illegal military operation.
South Korea should not respond to U.S. pressure to force it to cooperate with America's illegal military operations.
The official also said South Korea should not sacrifice its interests and reputation for what he described as Washington’s aggressive policies that undermine security and stability. The official argued that U.S. and Israeli attacks were the root cause of instability in the Strait of Hormuz and warned that Iran would not tolerate “any complicity in crimes” against Iranians and their rights.
South Korea should not sacrifice its national interests and reputation for America's aggressive policies that shake security and stability.
A senior U.S. administration official said South Korea is one of the biggest customers for Middle Eastern oil and that Washington is still waiting for Seoul to deploy resources to the region. President Donald Trump has called on major importers of Middle Eastern oil, including South Korea and Japan, to help secure the waterway. He also publicly expressed frustration last month over Seoul’s reported refusal to support a U.S. military operation against Iran.
South Korea says it has made no decision on troop deployment or specific assets. A senior presidential office official said freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz was highly important to South Korean national interests and that Seoul had consulted other countries about practical contributions. The official said military support remained under consideration, provided it did not significantly harm readiness on the Korean Peninsula, but stressed that nothing had been decided. Any overseas deployment would require domestic legal procedures and parliamentary consent.
We are still waiting for South Korea to deploy resources to the region.
Options reportedly under discussion include a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, a logistics support ship and personnel to detect and remove mines. Professor Ban Kil-joo of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy described these as medium-intensity contributions focused on navigation safety rather than direct combat against Iran.
Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a very important part of our national interests.
About this summary
Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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