The foreign ministers of South Korea and Iran discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz during a phone call on Friday, as Seoul weighs whether to contribute to security efforts in the strategic waterway.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, at Tehran’s request, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.
The two officials discussed developments in the Middle East, including the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.
The call came days after Seoul confirmed that it was considering a possible “contribution” to security in the waterway, amid repeated pressure from US President Donald Trump for South Korea to assist efforts to secure the strategic route.
Trump has said Seoul rejected his request for assistance in securing the Strait of Hormuz, which is critical to global energy supplies.
Iran, meanwhile, warned earlier this week that any South Korean military contribution to the conflict would have “serious consequences.”
South Korea has dispatched a fact-finding team to assess the situation in the strait but has repeatedly maintained that it has not made a final decision on whether to deploy military personnel to the area.
Shipping traffic through the strategic waterway has been severely disrupted since the reported outbreak of the US-Iran conflict on February 28, affecting global energy markets.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, with roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports normally passing through it.
Negotiations between Iran and the United States have also stalled as both sides seek leverage over the strategic waterway, further heightening concerns about the impact of the conflict on global energy supplies.
