Amid growing domestic controversy in South Korea over the deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media outlets have expressed heightened interest in the situation, with reactions such as “Is South Korea declaring war on us?” and “If South Korea engages in hostile acts against us in the Strait of Hormuz, it will face retaliation.”
The Iranian military-affiliated newspaper *Defa Press* published an article titled “South Korea’s Hostile Acts in the Strait of Hormuz” on the 9th (local time). It stated, “The South Korean Ministry of National Defense officially announced plans to dispatch a security investigation team to the United Arab Emirates, the UAE, to gather information on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.” The article added, “Seoul previously revealed it was considering multiple options, including participating in military actions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or joining the ‘terrorist US forces.’” It also noted, “Amid this, President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris to discuss military cooperation and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
*Defa Press* further stated, “Iranian foreign authorities recently warned Seoul about the consequences of any military intervention.” This refers to a warning issued on the 7th by Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, who posted in Korean on social media: “Deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz can only be seen as direct support for the aggressor, and this will lead to serious consequences.”
The outlet added, “If South Korea continues to insist on hostile actions and unjustified intervention, it will face retaliation from Iranian forces.”
*Habar Online*, a relatively moderate private media outlet, also reported on the controversy under the headline “South Korea, Declaring War on Iran?” The article stated, “The South Korean daily *Chosun Ilbo* reported that the South Korean government informed US authorities in Washington last month that it is prepared to dispatch a combat support vessel, maritime patrol forces, and 150 personnel to the Strait of Hormuz, and has begun procedures to obtain parliamentary approval.” It added, “As the US government intensifies pressure on its Asian allies to join the war against Iran, South Korea has initiated early preparations to deploy support vessels and personnel to the Strait of Hormuz.”
jasdooit 
Leave a comment