Requesting Support from South Korea, China, Japan, the UK, and France to Protect Ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the Blue House Says "Will Carefully Assess After Communicating with the US" ... Countries Struggling to Find a Justified Reason for Sending Troops

U.S. President Donald Trump has asked five countries—South Korea, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and France—to dispatch warships to the tense Strait of Hormuz to assist the U.S. On the 14th, Trump posted on his social media platform "Truth Social" saying: "To prevent the Strait of Hormuz from being threatened by a country that has been completely overthrown, I hope countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, as well as others, can also send warships here, which have been affected by artificial restrictions by the Iranian government."

Since the war broke out last month, the U.S. mainly conducted long-range attacks from hundreds to more than 1,000 kilometers away from Iran. Recently, the U.S. expressed its stance, hoping other countries would provide support for the escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz in the near future. The Strait of Hormuz is only about 40 kilometers wide, making it vulnerable to threats from Iranian mines and drones. The U.S. aims to bind the main users of the Strait into a multinational force to respond. In response, the countries nominated by Trump have taken a cautious stance without actively stepping forward. Due to the sudden war initiated by Trump lacking international law justification and legitimacy, public opinion is not optimistic, so there is an atmosphere of caution among countries.

Among the five countries selected by Trump, China is the only non-U.S. ally. From the perspective of energy security, the stability of the Strait of Hormuz is essential for China. Data from the General Administration of Customs of China show that over 70% of China's crude oil consumption depends on imports, of which about 45% passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Among the cargo transportation volume passing through the Strait of Hormuz, 37.7% is destined for China.

▲ Iran has also cut off the export route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz... Smoke rising from UAE oil facilities - On the 14th, oil facilities in Fujairah Port, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were attacked by Iranian drones, causing flames and thick smoke. Fujairah Port is connected via a land-based oil pipeline of approximately 400 kilometers to Abu Dhabi's oil fields, serving as a core channel for exporting up to 1.8 million barrels of oil per day by bypassing the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Oil loading operations at Fujairah Port, which had been suspended, resumed on the 15th. / Associated Press

Facing Trump's request for participation... China says no, the UK and France are cautious, and Japan may accept

However, China, which is currently in strategic competition with the U.S., is almost impossible to provide assistance for a U.S.-led military operation. On the 15th, when answering a question from CNN Television regarding whether China plans to deploy naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. stated: "China urges an immediate halt to hostilities. All parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply. As a sincere friend and strategic partner of Middle Eastern countries, China will continue to strengthen communication with relevant parties, including the conflicting parties, to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation and restoring peace." Emphasizing "playing a constructive role in de-escalating the situation and restoring peace," this was essentially a refusal of Trump's request. However, considering that Trump is planning to visit China at the end of this month, China avoided using explicit language to refuse the U.S. request to avoid burdening the summit diplomacy. Iran also sent signals to its ally China, allowing ships to pass through.

Watching the choice of Prime Minister Satsuki Katayama

Japan has long maintained friendly relations with Iran, but due to numerous legal restrictions on the activities of the Self-Defense Forces overseas, it has always taken a cautious approach to military involvement in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Japanese Prime Minister Satsuki Katayama, who visited Washington D.C. on the 19th, may consider accepting Trump's request to send warships, taking into account multiple complex situations, such as constitutional revision. Especially, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force has more than 25 new destroyers and 19 destroyer helicopters, and is evaluated as having overwhelming mine-clearing capabilities. If the U.S. expects Japan to take on a larger role in the event of Iranian mining near the strait, the possibility of Japan sending warships will also increase. During the Abe cabinet period in 2019, due to the heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran, Japan chose a compromise solution when the Trump administration requested participation in the joint action in the Strait of Hormuz. Although Japan did not participate in the military joint action, it dispatched a frigate under the pretext of intelligence gathering. However, the current level of Trump's request is vastly different. If the Self-Defense Forces' destroyers are dispatched, the call for considering the legal basis will also become stronger.

Trump has requested allies to dispatch warships under the pretense of ensuring the safety of the Strait of Hormuz, and the British government has taken a cautious attitude toward this. The UK Ministry of Defense is currently discussing maritime security cooperation plans with the U.S. and allies, but has not yet made a decision to immediately dispatch warships. While the British government recognizes the Strait of Hormuz as a core channel for global crude oil transport and the necessity of protecting merchant ships, it is carefully assessing the risks of escalating military tensions.

France also takes a cautious attitude towards Trump's request, tending not to directly participate in military actions led by the U.S. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France and some countries are advancing a "purely defensive escort mission" to protect merchant ships. This plan is likely to be carried out within the framework of a European-led maritime operation, supporting the safe navigation of merchant ships. It is reported that the UK and France are considering establishing a multilateral maritime protection system with European allies to address the issue rather than acting alone.

▲ On the 15th, 211 people, including 204 South Korean citizens and foreigners stranded in the Middle East due to the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, returned home by military transport aircraft "Sigynas" and were disembarking after arriving at Seongnam Seoul Airport. / Joint Photo Reporting Team

Trump's First Request for Deployment

Trump had previously pressured South Korea to significantly increase defense cost-sharing, but this is the first time he has asked South Korea to send troops. On the 15th, regarding Trump's request to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz, the Blue House expressed its official position, stating: "South Korea and the U.S. will closely communicate, carefully review and make a judgment. The safety and freedom of international maritime traffic lines are in the interest of all countries and are protected by international law. Hope that, based on this, the global maritime logistics network can quickly return to normal."

The Blue House National Security Office had anticipated that South Korea would receive a request for support from the U.S. after the start of Iran's attack last month, and had been internally preparing countermeasures. For this, they mainly reviewed the negotiations and support results and effects between South Korea and the U.S. during the Iraq War and Afghanistan War since the 1990s. However, unlike previous cases where deployment was primarily based on UN Security Council resolutions, this time, due to the lack of a justifiable reason for deployment, it was quite challenging.

Regarding "Trump's war," public opinion is not optimistic, especially the ruling party strongly opposes this war, calling it "a violation of international law." A core figure from the Democratic Party said: "After the news of Trump's request to dispatch warships spread, on the morning of the 15th, the group chat of the ruling party's foreign affairs and security advisory team had several articles criticizing Trump and opposing the deployment of warships." Professors like Kim Dongyeop (音) from the North Korea Academy University have already written long articles expressing their opposition to deploying troops. Therefore, if the South Korean Navy joins the multinational force to go to the Strait of Hormuz, it requires separate approval from the National Assembly, but it is unclear whether the ruling party will agree.

Moreover, unlike before, South Korea has an embassy in Tehran, Iran. Most of the expatriates have already left, but South Korean diplomats such as Ambassador Kim Junsang still remain on-site, moving between the office and underground safe facilities. A Foreign Ministry official said: "Although we can hear the sound of artillery shells around the Iranian embassy every day, the situation is very dangerous, but we have no plan to evacuate the embassy." Although the scale of trade between South Korea and Iran has drastically decreased after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran, the relationship with the oil-rich Iran cannot be ignored. Evacuating the embassy in a crisis could send a negative signal not only to Iran but also to other countries in the Middle East. Former Foreign Ministry officials who once served in Iran expressed concerns: "If the South Korean government helps the U.S. and deeply involves itself in the military operation, South Korean embassy staff might face danger in Iran."

Therefore, although the South Korean government has received a request from the U.S. side to support with warships, it is currently considering a limited response plan. In fact, during the Iraq War and Afghanistan War, South Korea mainly undertook tasks of reconstruction and stabilization support, rather than participating in combat missions. This was a compromise choice that took into account both the Republic of Korea-U.S. alliance and the diplomatic relations in the Middle East region.

The problem is that Trump may not be satisfied with this. According to Trump's personality, if he believes that South Korea's support actions are insufficient, it cannot be ruled out that he may retaliate at any time with unrelated commodity tariffs. Additionally, there are opinions that if the war is prolonged, the U.S. may ask South Korea to provide support in terms of weapons and military supplies.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original: toutiao.com/article/7617664645759533608/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.