Iran, effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz, pressed Korea not to join U.S.-led military moves as a condition for allowing passage, setting out an anti-U.S. line. Holding a choke point that carries 20% of the world's crude shipments, it has effectively kicked off so-called hostage diplomacy that divides allies and adversaries.
Saeid Koozechi, Iran's ambassador to Korea, stated accordingly at an emergency press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 26th, saying, "Korea is regarded as a non-hostile country, and we deeply appreciate that the Korean government is not entering into the agreement proposed by the United States." While leaving room to allow Korean ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, he warned that Iran will make a final decision on passage depending on the diplomatic steps the Korean government takes going forward. The move is seen as intended to preempt the U.S. strategy of drawing in allies.
On the 25th, Ambassador Koozechi, regarding resuming passage for Korean vessels currently stuck in the strait, said, "We are communicating smoothly through both countries' foreign ministers and embassies, and if both sides consult closely, there will be no problem with the safety of Korean vessels." However, he attached the precondition that Seoul must seek thorough prior coordination with Tehran and is required to provide specific ship information.
Inside the Strait of Hormuz now, 26 Korean ships, including national-flagged vessels, and 178 Korean crew members are waiting. The ambassador's emphasis on prior coordination while offering a safety guarantee appears to probe the Korean government's dilemma of having to prioritize protecting its nationals. It is interpreted as a remark aimed at completely blocking in advance Korea's participation in U.S.-led military operations or strong economic sanctions.
Iran also made clear its outright rejection of the 15-point peace proposal that President Trump was recently reported to have put forward. Ambassador Koozechi expressed displeasure, saying, "Even though Iran's nuclear activities are strictly for peaceful purposes, the United States presented the abandonment of nuclear activities as the first demand, which is utterly unacceptable." He went on to dismiss it, saying, "The peace overture raised by President Trump is nothing more than a ploy to buy time to launch large-scale airstrikes on Iran again." The implication is that not only Iran's senior officials but even ordinary citizens do not trust statements from the White House at all.
The ambassador added, "We want a definitive end to the war, not a temporary truce, and if the United States and Israel expand the scale of the war with ground operations, we are fully prepared to fight to the end."
International security experts say that if Iran's strategy of weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz drags on, it will deal a devastating blow to the global economy and security. Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery told Reuters, "Iran possesses a range of asymmetric capabilities, including low-cost drones and floating mines, making it far more challenging to defend convoy operations in the narrow Strait of Hormuz than in the past Red Sea crisis."
The U.S. Navy analysis organization CNA also warned of Iran's geographic advantage, saying, "The danger zone around the Strait of Hormuz is five times wider than the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, creating fundamental limits to allied defensive operations."