Abe’s Japan and its people are thinking twice about sending their “Self Defense Forces” to the Gulf, at Trump’s request. Now, it’s South Korea’s turn.

Hankyoreh: “Iran warns US allies may become targets if they partake in American counterattack.”

Shortly after launching missiles at military bases housing US troops in Iraq on Jan. 8, Iran warned that countries taking part in an American counterattack would also be targets. This warning adds another variable to the South Korean government’s deliberations about deploying forces to the Strait of Hormuz. If the situation deteriorates, countries participating in the US-led defensive coalition in the Strait of Hormuz could be targeted in an Iranian attack.

Seoul is keeping tabs on the threat of war in the Middle East, with the Ministry of National Defense (MOD) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) holding an emergency countermeasures meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

South Korean FM: ‘Korea’s stance on Hormuz may not be same as US’

Kang: “Considering a political analysis and bilateral ties with countries in the Middle East, I believe our stance on the issue cannot be the exactly same as the U.S.,” Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. A meeting of the committee was convened to discuss how to handle that possible fallout from the growing tension between Washington and Tehran.

“We have maintained economic ties with Iran for a long time and currently, we provide humanitarian assistance and educational support to the country,” she said.