South Korea to expand anti-piracy unit operations closer to Strait of Hormuz

South Korea plans to expand the operations of its anti-piracy Cheonghae unit to waters closer to the Strait of Hormuz to protect commercial shipping and energy supplies. The Defence Ministry announced the move following pressure from US President Donald Trump to provide support for the war in Iran. According to France 24, Seoul has ruled out military intervention in the ongoing US-Iran war.

The government intends to submit a motion to parliament to extend the unit's Middle East deployment, which is scheduled to expire at the end of 2026, according to the Jerusalem Post. The Jerusalem Post reports that the motion, which requires approval from President Lee Jae Myung and the cabinet, would expand the area of operation to waters near the port of Duqm in Oman.

Various agencies reported additional deployments to the region. KBS World Radio stated that South Korea will deploy maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal team, and unmanned mine-releasing equipment. The Korea Herald reported that Seoul will deploy a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and increase the unit's personnel by 75.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, France 24, KBS World Radio — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.