South Korea to expand Cheonghae anti-piracy unit’s patrols closer to Strait of Hormuz

South Korea will expand the operational area of its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit closer to the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Thursday. The report said the move follows pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Seoul to support a war with Iran. South Korea’s defense ministry said the government will submit a plan to parliament to extend the unit’s Middle East mission beyond 2026. Under the plan, the unit’s patrol area would stretch to waters off Oman’s Duqm port, about 650 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz. Cheonghae has been deployed to protect commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 and currently has a 4,400-ton destroyer, a naval helicopter and about 300 military personnel. (Source: Independent Persian)