US official says Strait of Hormuz 'completely open, controlled by US' amid Seoul weighing deployment
A motorboat travels past commercial vessels anchored amid haze in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sept. 7. AP-Yonhap
WASHINGTON — A U.S. official said Tuesday that the crucial Strait of Hormuz is "completely open and controlled" by the United States Navy, as Korea is weighing the potential deployment of military assets to help secure the waterway.
Seoul has been deliberating on whether to send military assets to help restore freedom of navigation through the strait, a key shipping route for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities, amid increased pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.
"The Strait is completely open and controlled by the United States Navy. Thanks to the historically successful blockade, nothing gets through to Iran, but the Strait is open for everyone else," the official said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.
"Millions of barrels of oil are transiting the Strait on a daily basis. Now that the United States Navy has cleared the Strait of mines, transit to and from non-Iranian ports will continue to ramp up even further."
The official was responding to questions about whether there have been any formal or informal discussions between Seoul and Washington on the issue, and whether the Trump administration has made specific requests for Korea to provide assistance in securing the strait.
Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday that it has sent an on-site investigation team to assess the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the dispatch was not decided on the premise of military deployment.