COVER STORY Iran sees Cheonghae expansion as backing US war effort
The destroyer Wang Geon, part of the 49th rotation of the Cheonghae anti-piracy unit, departs from Busan on Oct. 2. The Cabinet approved a proposal Tuesday to expand the unit’s operational area to waters south of Oman and deploy additional assets. Yonhap
Cabinet approves expanded deployment despite Tehran's objections
Korea is facing a diplomatic challenge in convincing Iran that the Cheonghae Unit’s expanded mission closer to the Strait of Hormuz is not an intervention in the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, as the Middle Eastern country warned Korea could be “portrayed as an accomplice” of U.S. military attacks.
Although Korea’s defense authorities reiterated that the unit's expanded duties do not cover the strait but rather are aimed at protecting Korean vessels from piracy, experts say it seems Seoul’s message has not been delivered as intended. This raises concerns that Iran could view the move as entry into the war and lead to potential clashes.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei speaks at a weekly press conference in Tehran, Monday. Xinhua-Yonhap
The concerns come after Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei delivered a briefing on Monday (local time).
“South Korea should keep itself away from entering into an issue that is already complicated enough,” Baghaei said, according to local media reports. "It should refrain from deploying military forces to the region under the name of supporting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz."
He noted that Tehran and Seoul have maintained relations for more than 60 years based on mutual respect and shared interests.
“The Iranian people do not expect countries other than the United States, the Zionist regime and their allies to join their military aggression against Iran,” Baghaei added, using the term "Zionist regime” to refer to Israel.
He expressed hope that Korea "will not be portrayed as an accomplice of U.S. military aggression," and that "Korea and the international community will pay attention to wide and harmful impacts that the illegal activities by the U.S. and Israel could bring about."
Tehran’s warning came hours after Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul rejected criticism and concerns that expanding the Cheonghae Unit’s operation area from the Gulf of Aden to waters south of Oman could provide a backdoor to deploy forces to the Hormuz Strait.
“We have clearly stated our principle of noninvolvement and noninterference in the war,” Kang said at a parliamentary National Defense Committee meeting.
He added that Korea would retain its own command structure and that the expansion is intended to protect Korean service members, nationals and vessels, citing a more than threefold increase in pirate activity.
Korea's foreign ministry did not clarify whether it delivered its stance on the Cheonghae Unit issue to Iran before or after the mission expansion announcement.
A ministry official only said, “We are continuously communicating with relevant countries, including Iran, on this matter.”
He also stressed that the purpose of the extended mission is to protect Korean nationals and economic interests, under the principle of noninvolvement and nonintervention in the war.
The Embassy of Iran in Korea was unavailable for comment.
Analysts found the defense and foreign ministries’ explanations insufficient to reassure Tehran of Seoul’s commitment to avoid involvement in the conflict in the strait.
“It is unclear whether Seoul adequately explained the Cheonghae Unit’s expanded mission to Tehran before announcing it,” a researcher at a private think tank said on condition of anonymity.
“If Iran received a detailed explanation but still views the plan as intervention, the government needs to identify which aspects failed to reassure it.”
The researcher warned that if no substantive consultation took place beforehand, “it would raise concerns about diplomatic preparations for a deployment involving the safety of Korean military personnel and civilians.”
Kwak Jin-o, a research professor at Pai Chai University, also warned of the risks posed by differing perceptions of the deployment.
“Seoul needs to make sure Iran understands that Korea is staying out of the war,” he said. “Activities such as supporting other countries’ operations could send a different message to Tehran and increase the risk of an accidental clash.”
On Tuesday, the Cabinet approved a motion at its weekly meeting to extend the unit’s deployment area. The proposal will be submitted to the National Assembly shortly after the remaining procedures are completed.