Iran appears to warn South Korea against joining US naval operations

Detailed summary

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson appeared to warn South Korea on Thursday against supporting US military operations near the Strait of Hormuz, two days after Seoul's cabinet…

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson appeared to warn South Korea on Thursday against supporting US military operations near the Strait of Hormuz, two days after Seoul's cabinet approved a plan to expand its naval operations toward the waterway.

In a post on X, Esmaeil Baghaei warned that deploying naval forces, military equipment or personnel, or providing logistical support for US operations would constitute a hostile and unlawful act.

"Any state that may participate in such unlawful aggressions, in whatever form, shall bear full responsibility for the resulting repercussions," he wrote.

Baghaei accompanied the post with an illustration depicting a small sparrow facing a larger bird with American flag imagery on its wings, alongside a Korean proverb: "A sparrow that tries to fly after a stork will eventually break its legs."

South Korea's cabinet approved the proposed expansion of its Cheonghae naval unit's operations to waters south of Oman on Tuesday. The plan still requires parliamentary approval, and Seoul has said its forces will not participate in the war against Iran.

Baghaei also warned that justifications such as "protecting freedom of navigation" or "countering piracy" would not change what he described as the unlawful nature of participation in US military operations.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Iran International. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.