South Korea plans to extend the operations of its anti-piracy unit to waters closer to the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Defence announced. The decision follows pressure from Donald Trump to provide support for his war in Iran.
The government will submit a proposal to parliament to expand the operational area of the Cheonghae unit to waters near the port of Duqm in Oman. The port is located approximately 650 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal requires approval from both President Lee Jae Myung and the cabinet.
A Ministry of Defence official said the aim of strengthening the Cheonghae unit's mission is to protect citizens and preserve economic interests. He emphasised that the reinforcement is exclusively non-combatant in nature and that the unit will operate independently of allied forces. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to him, operations will remain limited to open waters south of Oman. A maritime patrol aircraft during missions will not be permitted to target or monitor Iranian territory, Iranian territorial waters or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Thursday that two oil tankers and a tugboat burned in separate incidents after attempting to use unauthorised routes through the strait. One tanker hit a mine while attempting to cross the passage south of the shipping lane, another supertanker caught fire while exiting via a route in the eastern part of the strait, and a tugboat that approached the other vessel to help extinguish the fire also caught fire.
Trump has criticised South Korea for what he called insufficient support for the war in Iran. This summer, he reduced the scope of major joint military exercises between the armed forces of the two countries, which alarmed the American ally.
The unit has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 to ensure safe navigation for merchant ships. The proposal also provides for an extension of the unit's deployment to the Middle East, which expires at the end of 2026, a Ministry spokesperson confirmed, thereby confirming a report by Yonhap News Agency.
The unit currently includes a 4,400-tonne destroyer, a maritime operations helicopter, up to three rigid-hulled inflatable boats and around 300 personnel, according to YTN television. Seoul would also deploy a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and increase the unit's staff by 75, Korea Herald reported.
South Korea relies heavily on oil imports. According to Ministry of Industry data, 70 per cent of its oil reserves in 2025 were sourced from the Middle East, with the majority transported through the Strait of Hormuz. Lee stated on 18 September that he would not deploy military resources to the Middle East in a manner that could draw the country into conflict, and that Seoul is considering taking a greater role in protecting navigation in the region.
