South Korea is facing simultaneous pressure from Washington and Tehran over whether to send military assets to the Strait of Hormuz. The White House has publicly called on Seoul to commit resources to the region, while a warning has emerged from Iran that Korean civilian facilities in the Middle East could become targets if a deployment goes ahead. With opposition to a deployment also surfacing within the ruling party, the government's calculations have grown more complicated as it weighs the alliance with the United States against domestic public opinion.
A White House official, commenting on Seoul's review of possible military contributions in the Strait of Hormuz, said South Korea is one of the major importers of Middle Eastern crude oil and that "we are still waiting for South Korea to commit resources to the region," Voice of America reported on the 6th. The remarks turned a series of recent messages from U.S. President Donald Trump pressing for a military contribution into public pressure at the administration level. Trump said in a media interview on the 30th of last month that he would "remember" what he described as South Korea's lukewarm stance on the conflict with Iran.
Iran, meanwhile, has escalated its warnings over the prospect of a Korean deployment. Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran who previously served as an adviser in Iran's nuclear negotiations, said in a recent appearance on the Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen that if South Korea joins the war, Iran will regard the country as an enemy, according to Middle East Eye. He argued that not only Korean military assets but also Korean civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates could become targets.
Within the ruling party, which has so far maintained a cautious line, voices against a deployment are gradually growing louder. Rep. Lee Ki-heon of the Democratic Party of Korea said on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" on the 7th that direct involvement in a war does not serve either the stable supply of energy or the national interest going forward, adding that many lawmakers privately express deep concern and worry about sending troops.
The government is said to be keeping diplomatic channels with Iran open and maintaining communication while it reviews the deployment. A Foreign Ministry official said the same day that Seoul is in close consultation with the international community, including the U.S. side, on practical ways to contribute to an early restoration of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and to peace and stability in the Middle East.
