South Korea signals willingness to contribute to efforts to reopen Strait of Hormuz
South Korea has signaled it is willing to participate in international efforts to ensure safe and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, its foreign ministry said.
Disruption at the strait is directly hitting South Korea’s energy supply and economy, the ministry said, with the country capping fuel prices and shifting toward coal and nuclear power in response, News.Az reports, citing CNN.
“Participation in the joint statement is significant in confirming our willingness to contribute to the efforts of the international community to ensure safe and free passage in the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said Saturday in a statement.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan had released a joint statement on the strait, condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. They added that they are ready to contribute to “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”
Bahrain and Canada also expressed willingness to join the pack.
For context: US President Donald Trump had called on allies to send warships and minesweepers to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to calm global oil markets, but none have made firm commitments yet. He later lashed out at NATO allies for not helping the US and called them “cowards” for not helping secure the strait.
By Faig Mahmudov
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