Iran Warns South Korea Over Naval Deployment Near Hormuz
Iran warned South Korea that expanding its anti-piracy naval operations near the Strait of Hormuz will be treated as a hostile act and a violation of international law.
The Government of Iran warned South Korea and other foreign nations on November 12, 2026, that any military or logistical support for United States operations near the Strait of Hormuz will be treated as a hostile act. The warning follows a South Korean Cabinet decision to expand the operational area of the Cheonghae Unit, an anti-piracy naval contingent, to waters south of Oman. While Seoul maintains the unit will remain outside the strait and will not join the conflict between Iran, the U.S., and Israel, Tehran dismissed claims of protecting freedom of navigation as covers for unlawful aggression.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated that any state participating in such actions shall bear full responsibility for the repercussions. This diplomatic tension coincides with a broader escalation in Iranian military and nuclear policy. Following a directive from Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps announced the removal of a self-imposed 2,000-kilometer limit on ballistic missile range.
Additionally, Iran's Assembly of Experts described withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as an inevitable necessity following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. These developments occur as President Donald Trump pressures South Korea to help secure the strategic waterway, leaving Seoul to balance its security alliance with Washington against its reliance on Middle Eastern crude oil.
