Iran Strikes Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz Amid Growing Regional Tensions
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point for tensions in the Middle East as Iran claims to have struck an oil tanker attempting to transit the waterway. The Togo-flagged vessel, Trend, was reportedly trying to pass through the strait when it was hit by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
According to the IRGC, the tanker's actions were an 'illegal attempt' to navigate the area, which has been under Tehran's control since the US and Israel launched their war on February 28. The IRGC warned that any unauthorized passage through the strait would result in the 'destruction' of offending vessels.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced that his government is considering expanding the operations of a naval unit deployed in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen and Somalia to protect its country's vessels and oil shipping routes. However, he stressed that South Korea would not take action drawing it into the US-Iran conflict.
The growing threat by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen to shipping in the region has alarmed countries and markets, with Lee noting the need to protect South Korea's economy and ships but reiterating that 'there will be no troop deployment that involves or intervenes in the war.'