Middle East live: South Korea mulling military deployment in Strait of Hormuz, media reports say

Home Middle East Live Issued on: 04/09/2026 - 04:56Modified: 04/09/2026 - 07:09 (FILE) Vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on August 10, 2026. © Atta Kenare, AFP South Korea is considering sending military assets to the Strait of Hormuz to support freedom of navigation, local media reported Thursday. An official from the presidential office told reporters on Friday that Seoul was weighing “contributions” to US security efforts in the vital waterway but stressed that no decision had been taken. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. Yesterday's key developments: • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence that Iran's Islamic republic could soon fall, saying it was "weaker than ever". • US Vice President JD Vance has said he would not categorise the Iran war as a war, despite continuing clashes with Tehran six months after the start of the conflict. • Iran's army said it targeted US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, despite threats of further strikes by US President Donald Trump. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP) Keywords for this article