South Korea's defense ministry announced plans to expand the operational area of its anti-piracy Cheonghae unit to waters closer to the Strait of Hormuz. The government intends to submit a motion to parliament to extend the unit's reach to waters near the port of Duqm in Oman, which is about 650km (403 miles) away from the strait. The motion also needs to be approved by President Lee Jae Myung and the cabinet.
A defense ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the enhancement of the Cheonghae unit’s mission is to protect our citizens and safeguard our economic interests. The official emphasized that the reinforcement was strictly for non-combat purposes and the unit would operate independently of allied forces. According to the official, operations will remain restricted to the open waters south of Oman, and the maritime patrol aircraft will be prohibited from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the strait of Hormuz during their missions.
The move comes as Donald Trump has criticized South Korea for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war and scaled back major joint military drills by the two countries’ armed forces this summer, a move that unsettled the US ally. The defense ministry said the expansion follows pressure from Trump to provide support for his war in Iran.
The Cheonghae unit has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 to ensure safe navigation of commercial vessels. A ministry spokesperson confirmed a report by Yonhap news agency that the motion also seeks to extend the unit’s deployment to the Middle East, which is set to expire at the end of 2026.
According to broadcaster YTN, the unit currently includes a 4,400-ton-class destroyer, a maritime operations helicopter, up to three rigid-hull inflatable boats and about 300 service members. The Korea Herald reported that Seoul would also deploy a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and increase the unit’s personnel by 75.
The expansion comes as the industry ministry reported that South Korea sourced 70% of its supplies from the Middle East in 2025, most of it delivered through the strait of Hormuz. On 18 September, President Lee said that he would not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, but that Seoul was reviewing playing a greater role in safeguarding navigation in the region.
The announcement follows reports from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) on Thursday regarding two oil tankers and a tugboat that had caught fire in separate incidents after attempting to use unauthorised routes through the strait. The IRGC said one tanker struck a mine while attempting to cross a passage south of the waterway, while another supertanker caught fire while exiting the route in the eastern part of the strait. A tugboat that approached the second vessel to help extinguish the fire also caught fire.
