South Korea weighs military deployment in Hormuz Strait as Iran threatens closure

South Korea’s Cheonghae Unit, currently deployed in the Gulf of Aden, is bracing for potential fallout following Iran’s growing threats to block the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear facilities.

Military officials in Seoul are closely monitoring the situation and reviewing the unit’s operational readiness and posture, Caliber.Az reports, citing South Korean media.

A defence source stated, “The Cheonghae Unit has already been maintaining a heightened state of alert, even before this escalation. Discussions are ongoing about the need for additional measures.”

At present, the unit’s 45th rotation, centred on the 4,400-ton destroyer Munmu the Great, is stationed off the coast of Somalia as part of South Korea’s anti-piracy and maritime security operations.

The Cheonghae Unit has been operating in the region since 2009, originally tasked with protecting South Korean vessels and nationals in the Gulf of Aden.

In 2020, under the Moon Jae-in administration, its operational range was extended to the Strait of Hormuz, though South Korea opted not to formally join the U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), maintaining an independent deployment.

In 2021, the unit was swiftly dispatched to the Strait after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized or threatened to seize South Korean vessels — a move that drew strong criticism from Tehran, which has consistently objected to the unit’s presence near its waters.

If Iran proceeds with the closure of the strait, analysts warn that Western merchant ships and oil tankers could become prime targets for seizure, and South Korean vessels would be no exception. Nearly 99% of South Korea’s crude oil imports from the Middle East pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

A military official confirmed, “Should Iran detain a South Korean vessel in the strait, the Cheonghae Unit would likely be mobilised for an immediate response.”

However, concerns are growing that any military intervention could lead to confrontation with Iranian forces. 

Iran maintains a formidable naval presence in the 50-kilometre-wide strait, including six submarines, 20 submersibles, six surface combat ships, over 30 missile speedboats, and approximately 200 smaller missile-equipped vessels — many of which, though relatively small, pose a significant threat.

By Aghakazim Guliyev