South Korea to send military mission to Strait of Hormuz but no combat troops to Iran war

South Korea's defence ministry announced on Thursday, 5 November, that it will send a maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal team to waters near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints. The deployment is part of a mission to help keep the waterway open. The strait is vital to global energy supplies and normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil, but shipping there has been disrupted since the US-Iran war began on 28 February.

What the plan includes

A ministry spokesperson confirmed reports that the government intends to expand the operational area of the Cheonghae anti-piracy naval unit. The unit currently protects commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia. According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, the deployment will include a destroyer, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal team, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles for underwater exploration.

The Cheonghae unit's mandate is currently authorised until the end of this year. Extending it will require parliamentary approval.

Limits on the mission

An unnamed defence ministry official said the aim is to protect South Korean citizens and safeguard the country's economic interests. The reinforcement is strictly for non-combat purposes, he said, and the unit will operate independently of allied forces. Operations will be restricted to open waters south of Oman, and the patrol aircraft will be barred from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz.

In September, President Lee Jae Myung reiterated that South Korea would not deploy troops in a way that could lead to military intervention. He said the country had upheld a principle of non-involvement and non-intervention in the war so far and would continue to do so. Tehran has warned Seoul against such a deployment after South Korea said it was weighing a contribution to the waterway's security.