South Korea Sends Fact-Finding Team to Hormuz, Denies Troop Decision

<p>South Korea has dispatched a fact-finding team to assess conditions around the Strait of Hormuz, even as Seoul stressed on Tuesday that no decision has been made on a potential troop deployment to the strategic waterway.</p>
<p>The South Korean defence ministry confirmed the development, stating the team was sent to "examine the regional situation and security conditions" and that "its mission does not presuppose an actual deployment."</p>
<p>The team departed for the United Arab Emirates over the weekend and is assessing operational conditions for a possible deployment, according to Yonhap News Agency, which cited officials. The team is expected to return to South Korea as early as this week. The defence ministry declined to comment on those details.</p>
<p>Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been virtually paralysed since the US-Iran war began on February 28, severely disrupting global energy markets. The waterway normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas exports, connecting the Gulf to international waters. Tehran has largely been in control of the strait since hostilities broke out.</p>
<p>US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured ally South Korea to provide support for the war in West Asia. However, Seoul denied that Washington had asked it to deploy troops by a specified deadline. South Korea had said on Friday that it was considering "contributions" to US security efforts along the strait, while maintaining no decision had been finalised.</p>
<p>Tuesday's announcement came a day after Iran issued a direct warning to Seoul. "Any military deployment or participation in operations by other countries in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz can only be regarded as direct support for the party responsible for that aggression and will have serious consequences," Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a Korean-language post on X. He also warned Seoul against succumbing to what he described as "US pressure and intimidation."</p>
<p>Negotiations between Iran and the United States have stalled, with both sides seeking control over the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway's continued disruption has kept global energy markets under significant strain.</p>