South Korea has announced it will expand naval operations closer to the Strait of Hormuz, despite the serious risks associated with such a move.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said on Thursday it would deploy maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team to waters near the Strait of Hormuz as part of a mission to help keep the vital waterway open.
Seoul will submit a proposal to parliament for lawmakers' approval to expand the Cheonghae Unit’s scope of operations to waters near the port of Duqm in Oman, which is about 650 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz. The Cheonghae Unit has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 to ensure the safe navigation of commercial vessels.
Following parliamentary approval, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and the cabinet will also need to approve the move.
The president had vowed earlier this year that Seoul would never send its military forces to the region, defying US President Donald Trump's pressure on South Korea and other Washington allies to actively participate in the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran.
Seoul clarified in September that South Korean forces would not be deployed to the region in any capacity that could lead to a military confrontation with Iranian forces.
"We have upheld the principle of non-involvement and non-intervention in the war until now," the president said. "And we will continue to uphold it going forward."
Iran has warned the Seoul government that any military intervention in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz would amount to “direct” support for the US-Israeli war on Iran and lead to serious consequences for South Korean forces.
Meanwhile, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that the deployment will include a destroyer, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an EOD team, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater exploration.
A South Korean Defense Ministry official, who spoke to the media on condition of anonymity, said Seoul's troop deployment to the region is strictly for non-combatant purposes, emphasizing that the military unit would act independently.
“The enhancement of the Cheonghae Unit’s mission is to protect our citizens and safeguard our economic interests,” the official told reporters.
“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 added.
The US-Israeli war of aggression, which kicked off on February 28 with the martyrdom of Iran's Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and top military commanders, has disrupted shipping through the vital international waterway, where a significant share of global energy supplies passes.
Trump had earlier denounced Seoul for its refusal to send troops to the region to join the aggression against Iran.
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website