[Edaily Reporter KIM YOON JI ] A senior Iranian official warned that if South Korea participates in U.S. military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, it would be considered an act of aggression against Iran.
According to the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese media outlet Al-Mayadeen on the 5th (local time), a senior Iranian political and security official made this statement in an interview, noting that the U.S. is intensifying its pressure on South Korea to cooperate in military operations.
The official urged South Korea, “Do not sacrifice your national interests and reputation for the sake of the U.S.’s aggressive policies that undermine security and stability.” He added, “South Korea is also aware that the source of instability in the Strait of Hormuz is the aggression of the U.S. and Israel,” and urged, “South Korea must not turn a blind eye to this fact.”
He argued, “As long as U.S. intervention in violation of international law continues, it will be impossible to restore security in this region.” He further emphasized, “Iran will never tolerate any form of complicity in aggressive crimes targeting the Iranian people and their rights.”
Earlier on the 4th, a Blue House official, when asked whether South Korea could consider dispatching troops overseas as a means of making a military contribution to the Strait of Hormuz, said, “We believe we could take such action as long as it does not significantly compromise our readiness to defend the Korean Peninsula.”
Consequently, speculation has arisen that the South Korean government is finalizing plans to dispatch military assets—such as maritime patrol aircraft and logistics support ships—to the Strait of Hormuz at the request of the United States, and that it may submit a deployment authorization bill to the National Assembly within this month to initiate the formal deployment process.
However, an official from the Blue House took a cautious stance, stating, “We are currently in the review stage, and nothing has been decided yet.”
President Donald Trump has publicly expressed dissatisfaction on social media regarding South Korea’s insufficient contribution to the effort against Iran. Last month, he ordered a reduction in ROK-U.S. joint exercises; as a result, the duration of “Ulchi Freedom Shield” (UFS), the theater-level ROK-U.S. joint exercise scheduled for the second half of the year, was cut in half.