South Korea is considering sending military assets to the Strait of Hormuz to support freedom of navigation, media reported Thursday, though Seoul denied it had decided on a deployment. Iran launched strikes on American military targets in the Gulf, in retaliation for an attack that killed four people at a wedding on Tuesday night. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
South Korea says it could contribute to US security efforts in Hormuz
South Korea said Friday that Seoul could contribute to US security efforts in the Strait of Hormuz as long as its own military readiness is not compromised.
“Contributions to the Strait of Hormuz could be managed within limits that do not compromise military readiness,” a presidential official said, adding that a review was still under way.
Trump names Adam Telle as acting Army secretary amid Hegseth tensions
President Donald Trump on Thursday named Adam Telle, a civilian leader in the US Army Corps of Engineers, as the acting Army secretary following the departure of Dan Driscoll amid widespread reports of tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Telle is currently the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. But he spent more than 20 years working for Republican senators as well as in the White House during Trump’s first term, serving as the president’s chief liaison to the Senate, according to an Army bio.
“He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Hegseth echoed that in his own post on X.
“Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip smart,” Hegseth wrote. “He is indeed a great Patriot – and will be an immediate asset to the @USArmy.”
Oil prices set for steepest weekly gain since July on US-Iran tensions
Oil prices rose on Friday and are on track for the steepest weekly gain since mid-July as rising tensions and renewed US-Iran hostilities heightened concerns over Middle East supply risks.
Brent crude futures rose 15 cents, or 0.2%, to $95.67 a barrel at 0100 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 26 cents, or 0.3%, at $91.56.
On a weekly basis, Brent rose 7.1% and WTI was 9.8% higher, set for the highest gains since the week ended July 20.
South Korea says claims that Seoul has provided no support in Hormuz are ‘not true’
South Korea is reviewing practical options, including military measures, for supporting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and claims that Seoul had provided no assistance on the issue were “not true”, a presidential Blue House official said on Friday.
The official said South Korea-US security talks were “not currently progressing” and semiconductors were among the issues under discussion between the allies.
South Korea weighs military deployment to Strait of Hormuz
South Korea is preparing to deploy military assets to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and aims to dispatch them before the end of the year, media reported late on Thursday, citing government and military sources.
The reports in several South Korean media outlets said the government was preparing procedures to seek parliamentary approval for the deployment, including submitting a consent motion to parliament this month after cabinet review.
The government was considering options including sending a maritime patrol aircraft, a logistics support vessel or a mine detection and clearance unit, and had been discussing the scale and nature of a potential contribution with countries including the United States, Britain and France, the reports said.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering events in the Middle East. You can catch up on yesterday’s developments here.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence that Iran‘s Islamic republic could soon fall, saying it was “weaker than ever”.
• US Vice President JD Vance has said he would not categorise the Iran war as a war, despite continuing clashes with Tehran six months after the start of the conflict.
