South Korea says it will expand naval operations closer to strait of Hormuz

The government will submit a motion to parliament to expand the Cheonghae unit's area of operation to waters near the port of Duqm in Oman, which is about 650km (403 miles) away from the Strait of Hormuz. The motion also needs to be approved by President Lee Jae Myung and the cabinet.

The reinforcement is strictly for non-combat purposes and the unit would operate independently of allied forces. 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 during their missions.

Strategic and economic context

The unit has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 to ensure the safe navigation of commercial vessels. The motion also seeks to extend the unit’s deployment to the Middle East, which is set to expire at the end of 2026. Seoul would also deploy a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and increase the unit’s personnel by 75.

South Korea relies heavily on oil imports and sourced 70% of its supplies from the Middle East in 2025, most of it delivered through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the industry ministry. The unit currently includes a 4,400-ton-class destroyer, a maritime operations helicopter, up to three rigid-hull inflatable boats and about 300 service members.

Trump has criticised Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war and scaled back major joint military drills by the two countries' armed forces this summer, a move that unsettled the US ally.

Next steps

Lee said on 18 September that he would not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, but that Seoul was reviewing playing a greater role in safeguarding navigation in the region. The parliamentary motion is the first step in this review.