▲ President Donald Trump speaks during an event celebrating Women's History Month in the East Room of the White House in Washington on March 12, 2026, in this photo released by UPI. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Trump-Hormuz Strait

(LEAD) Trump calls on S, Korea, China, Japan, others to send ships to keep Hormuz Strait open

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 7-9)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that "hopefully" South Korea and other countries, affected by Iran's attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz, will send ships to keep the crucial oil shipping route "open and safe," amid growing concerns over disruptions to shipping along the waterway.

Trump made the remarks in a social media post as his administration has been ramping up pressure on the Islamic Republic to stop the move to block the strait, which is responsible for about a fifth of the world's oil supplies.

"Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump claimed that the U.S. military has already destroyed "100 percent" of Iran's military capability.

"But it's easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are," Trump said.

He went on to say, "In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!"

South Korea currently has its Cheonghae naval unit in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations.

In 2020, Seoul decided to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz for independent operations, temporarily expanding the Cheonghae unit's operational area to cover the tense waterway, amid pressure from Washington to contribute to its effort to protect what it sees as global commons in the Middle East.

Disruptions to shipping through the strait off Iran are a growing concern for South Korea given that the Asian country relies on the Middle East for more than 70 percent of its oil imports.

Having kicked off on Feb. 28, the U.S. military operation has intensified, seeking to destroy Iran's missile capabilities and its Navy, weaken Iranian-backed militant groups and end any pathway for the Middle East country to get nuclear bombs.

Despite the formidable campaign of military strikes, Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a defiant message on Thursday, vowing to continue using the blockade of the strait as a "lever," and avenge the "blood" of "martyrs" killed in the war with the U.S. and Israel.

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