Seoul: South Korea said on Sunday it is closely watching US President Donald Trump’s request for Seoul and other nations to deploy warships to safeguard oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The appeal comes amid escalating tensions since US-Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran on February 28. Tehran has retaliated with attacks and threats that have severely disrupted shipping in the strait, a vital chokepoint for one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies.
Trump, who earlier pledged US Navy escorts for tankers, took to social media on Saturday to broaden the call. “Many Countries” would send warships to keep the route open, he wrote, specifically naming South Korea, Japan, China, France, and Britain. He added that nations “that are affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area.”
Both Seoul and Tokyo have responded cautiously. A South Korean official said the government was “comprehensively considering and exploring various measures… to ensure the safety of energy transport routes.” No firm commitment emerged.
“We are closely monitoring President Trump’s remarks on social media and will carefully consider the matter in close consultation with the United States,” a South Korean presidential official told AFP.
Japan’s Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, set a high bar for involvement. Speaking on NHK’s political debate program earlier on Sunday, he noted: “Legally speaking, we do not rule out the possibility, but given the current situation in which this conflict is ongoing, I believe this is something that must be considered with great caution.”
