South Korea and Iran Hold Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security as Tensions Rise

 South Korea and Iran have opened fresh diplomatic discussions over security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as Seoul weighs how it could contribute to maritime security without worsening tensions with Tehran.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on September 11. According to Seoul's Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East, with particular attention to the security and safe passage of vessels through the strategic waterway. Cho expressed concern about regional instability and reaffirmed South Korea's support for safe navigation. 

The conversation comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Seoul. South Korea has been examining several options for contributing to efforts aimed at keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, including possible military measures. However, the government has repeatedly stressed that no final decision has been made to deploy troops or military assets.

Seoul recently sent a joint team of defence and foreign ministry officials to the United Arab Emirates to assess security conditions, potential operating locations and logistical requirements around the strait. The team returned to South Korea on September 10, after conducting an assessment that officials said did not automatically mean a deployment would follow.

The diplomatic engagement with Iran is important because Tehran has already warned that foreign military participation in the Persian Gulf or Strait of Hormuz could be regarded as support for the United States and could carry serious consequences. Iran has nevertheless emphasised the importance it places on its longstanding diplomatic relationship with South Korea.

For South Korea, the issue involves both national security and economic interests. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for energy supplies, making its security particularly important to an economy that relies heavily on imported oil and gas from the Middle East. Any prolonged disruption could therefore affect shipping costs, energy prices and broader economic stability.

Seoul is consequently facing a difficult balancing act. It wants to protect the freedom of navigation and the safety of South Korean vessels and sailors, while avoiding a military decision that could expose its personnel or commercial interests to greater danger and damage its relationship with Iran.

South Korea has previously maintained direct communication with Tehran over the safety of its nationals and vessels. Earlier in 2026, Seoul sent a special envoy to Iran to discuss the safety of Korean nationals and ships affected by the crisis, demonstrating that diplomatic channels between the two countries have remained active despite the wider conflict.

The latest ministerial call therefore serves two purposes. It gives Seoul an opportunity to communicate directly with Tehran while it considers its next steps, and it allows both governments to keep dialogue open at a time when military calculations around the waterway could have consequences far beyond the Gulf.

South Korea's immediate challenge will be finding a way to support safe maritime passage without becoming directly involved in combat. Officials have indicated that alternatives to a conventional military deployment are also being examined, including technological assistance and non-combat capabilities. Any overseas deployment of South Korean forces would also require parliamentary approval under the country's legal framework.

The talks between Seoul and Tehran do not signal that an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz has been reached. Rather, they show that diplomacy remains one of South Korea's tools as it weighs its response to an increasingly dangerous security environment.