Seoul is considering giving aid to Iran in order to get its ships past the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, 26 Korean ships are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.
Korea considering aid option to get ships out of Strait of Hormuz
Twenty-six Korean-flagged ships are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz due to Iran’s closure of the waterway. The ships contain about 180 crew members stranded in the waterway.
The Korean government is considering sending humanitarian aid to Iran to get its ships out of the region. The war between the US and Israel against Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered the government to explore the aid option to Iran to see if it could be effective in extricating the ships.
Apparently, the president issued the order during a closed-door meeting last week with the Blue House aides and some ministers. The president was concerned about the ships stuck in the Strait.
“Lee gave orders to the effect of looking into ways to provide Iran with humanitarian aid and persuade it to allow Korean-flagged ships to leave the strait,” one participant in the meeting said.
The Korean government seems concerned due to its long-term commitment to prioritising the lives and safety of its people. The president also ordered that his administration mobilise all means possible to get a solution to the problem at hand.
However, the administration has said that it will not engage Iran one-on-one to allow the passage of the ships. The ships, along with the crew members, have been in the Strait of Hormuz for almost a month now.
Aid to Iran seems to be a viable option
It seems Iran would become more receptive to aid from Seoul due to the shortages caused by the war with the U.S and Israel. This might allow Iran to permit ships with humanitarian aid across the Strait of Hormuz.
Reportedly, the Iranian deputy minister of Agriculture sent a letter approving the passage of ships carrying humanitarian aid through the Strait. These are ships carrying essential goods or livestock feed heading to the Iranian ports or in the Gulf of Oman.
Despite Korea’s talks with Iran, both nations remain far from reaching an agreement. Iran had reportedly voiced its displeasure over Korea’s export of weapons to the Arab world.
Nevertheless, Ambassador Saeed Koozechi, the Iranian envoy to South Korea, held a press conference where he said Iran sees Korea as a non-hostile nation. He also noted that it is important that Korean ships hoping to pass through the Strait must not have ties to U.S. economic interests.