South Korea was the first to publicly sign the American plan of sending a naval unit in the Middle East aiming to boost safety and guard the oil tankers transmitting through the strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.
Namely, the US commented that the UK’s proposed plan to launch an EU-led maritime security initiative in the Strait of Hormuz is a ‘complement‘ in the existing US presence in the area, as until now it has been a stand-alone operation for the States.
In essence, the Maekyung business newspaper informed that South Korea will send the anti-piracy Cheonghae unit operating in waters off Somalia, possibly along with helicopters.
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US Secretary Mike Pompeo called for the participation of South Korea, Germany, Japan, France and Australia in the protection of the vessels sailing through the Strait.
In the meantime, Seoul’s defence ministry reportedly said that the government is looking for ways to protect its ships in the area, but there has been no decision taken yet.
The tension in Strait of Hormuz peaked after the UK arrested the Indian Captain and Chief Officer of the Iranian tanker ‘Grace 1’, a few days after the ship was seized suspected of breaching EU sanctions by shipping oil to Syria.
Following this event, Iran seized Stena Impero, leading a part of the shipping sector addressing that this was an act of retaliation and an act against international shipping laws.
