South Korea plans to send maritime patrol aircraft and a bomb disposal team to waters near the Strait of Hormuz to protect commercial shipping, while keeping its forces outside the strait and out of combat operations, France 24 reported.
Seoul’s defense ministry said that the government intends to expand the operating area of its Cheonghae naval unit, which conducts anti-piracy and shipping protection missions in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.
The move follows shipping disruptions during the US-Iran war, which began on February 28, raising concerns among energy importers over access to the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that normally carries around a fifth of the world’s oil.
Planned deployments include a destroyer, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and an explosive ordnance disposal team, according to Yonhap News Agency, cited by France 24.
Uncrewed surface vessels, underwater vehicles, and remotely operated equipment for underwater exploration would also support the mission.
These assets would expand the Cheonghae unit’s shipping protection capabilities with aerial surveillance and underwater inspection, while extending its deployment beyond the current authorization would require parliamentary approval.
Operations Restricted to Waters South of Oman
Despite the mission’s stated goal of helping maintain access to Hormuz, South Korean forces will operate only in open waters south of Oman, a defense ministry official told reporters.
Patrol aircraft will be barred from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, Iranian territorial waters, or the interior of the strait.
The official described the reinforcement as a non-combat mission to protect South Korean citizens and economic interests, adding that the unit would operate independently of allied forces.
President Lee Jae Myung said in September that Seoul would maintain its policy of non-involvement in the war and avoid deployments that could draw it into military intervention.
Iran warned South Korea against sending forces after Seoul said it was considering contributing to securing the waterway.