SEOUL, March 15 (AJP) - The government is closely consulting with Washington and carefully weighing options after U.S. President Donald Trump pressed allies, including South Korea, to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday.
Urging countries "affected" by the closure of the strategically vital waterway, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, Trump wrote on his social media platform the previous day, "Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others that are affected by this artificial constraint will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated."
He also wrote that "many countries" would be sending warships "in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe."
The comments were made amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which began on Feb. 28 with coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and has since expanded into a broader regional war, with the U.S. vowing further strikes that have been met by Iranian retaliatory attacks.
A Chong Wa Dae official said, "The safety of international sea lanes and freedom of navigation serve the interests of all countries and should be protected under international law," expressing hope that global maritime logistics can return to normal quickly.
He also said the government is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and related countries' moves, while considering measures to protect South Korean nationals and secure energy shipping routes.
The government is expected to make a decision after considering various factors if a formal request is made.
None of the five countries have yet explicitly responded to the U.S. request, with the U.K. offering only a limited "defensive" role in support of U.S. action.
But even the U.S. Navy is not currently escorting tankers through the narrow strait.
Urging countries "affected" by the closure of the strategically vital waterway, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, Trump wrote on his social media platform the previous day, "Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others that are affected by this artificial constraint will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated."
He also wrote that "many countries" would be sending warships "in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe."
The comments were made amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which began on Feb. 28 with coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and has since expanded into a broader regional war, with the U.S. vowing further strikes that have been met by Iranian retaliatory attacks.
A Chong Wa Dae official said, "The safety of international sea lanes and freedom of navigation serve the interests of all countries and should be protected under international law," expressing hope that global maritime logistics can return to normal quickly.
He also said the government is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and related countries' moves, while considering measures to protect South Korean nationals and secure energy shipping routes.
The government is expected to make a decision after considering various factors if a formal request is made.
None of the five countries have yet explicitly responded to the U.S. request, with the U.K. offering only a limited "defensive" role in support of U.S. action.
But even the U.S. Navy is not currently escorting tankers through the narrow strait.
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