Cho Hyun, Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke by phone on the 11th with Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, and discussed the recent situation in the Middle East and Korea-Iran relations.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and said Korea hopes sustainable peace and stability in the region will be restored.
The Minister emphasized the government's consistent position that the free and safe passage of all vessels, including Korean ships, must be ensured in the Strait of Hormuz. The Minister also said Korea has continued to join the international community's efforts to guarantee free passage.
In addition, the Minister asked the Iranian government to pay special attention to the safety of Korean nationals staying in Iran.
Minister Araghchi explained Iran's position on the recent situation in the Middle East.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two countries agreed to continue communicating on the situation in the Middle East and pending issues in Korea-Iran relations.
An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "In the call, the Minister conveyed our position that nothing has been decided regarding troop deployment and emphasized that it is important to swiftly restore the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."