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The foreign ministers of South Korea and Iran have discussed the situation around the Strait of Hormuz during a phone call, Seoul said on Friday, days after South Korea confirmed it was considering a possible contribution to the waterway’s security.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, at Tehran’s request, according to a statement from South Korea’s Foreign Ministry.
The two ministers discussed developments in the Middle East and the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
The call came after Tehran warned earlier in the week that any South Korean military contribution to the conflict could have serious consequences.
United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged South Korea, a U.S. ally, to help secure the strategic waterway. Trump has said Seoul rejected his request for help.
South Korea has since sent a fact-finding team to assess conditions around the strait but has repeatedly said it has not decided whether to deploy its military there.
Traffic through the strategic shipping route has been severely disrupted since the US-Iran war began on February 28, affecting global energy markets.
Negotiations between Iran and the United States have also stalled as both sides seek control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key route that normally handles about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
