Cho Hyun Araghchi Phone Call Stresses Free Passage Through Hormuz

South Korea – Iran – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – The Cho Hyun Araghchi phone call took place on Friday, with South Korea’s foreign minister speaking to his Iranian counterpart at Tehran’s own request. The two leaders talked about the wider Middle East situation and the growing worry around the Strait of Hormuz.

This call comes just days after Seoul admitted it is thinking about offering some kind of help to protect the waterway. The United States has been pushing South Korea for a while now to step in and support the effort, but Seoul has not given a clear yes so far.

Iran, on the other hand, has already sent a strong message this week. Tehran warned that if South Korea sends its military to Hormuz, there could be serious consequences. This has added more pressure on Seoul as it tries to decide its next move carefully.

To understand the situation better, South Korea sent a team to study things on the ground near the strait. Officials say no final decision has been made yet about sending troops or ships there.

Since the war between the US and Iran started back in February, ships passing through Hormuz have almost come to a stop. This has hurt global oil trade in a big way, since a large share of the world’s oil and gas moves through this narrow passage every single day.

Right now, talks between Iran and the US over who controls the strait have hit a wall. Both sides are holding firm, and until things move forward, the world’s energy supply chain may keep feeling the strain.