People sit by the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on September 4, 2026. Photo: AP
Iran warned South Korea on Monday, September 7, that any military involvement in the Strait of Hormuz would be regarded as support for US aggression and could have “serious consequences”, as Seoul considers options to help secure navigation through the strategic waterway.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran valued its longstanding ties with Seoul, but warned that any foreign military presence or participation in operations in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz would be viewed as direct support for what Iran describes as aggression against it.
He urged countries not to succumb to US pressure and become involved in military action against Iran.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Seoul was closely communicating with the international community and relevant countries to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East and ensure the free passage of vessels, including South Korean ships, through the Strait of Hormuz, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Diplomatic sources cited by Yonhap said Seoul had maintained open channels with Tehran while considering its response to the situation.
South Korea has not made a final decision on deploying military forces or assets. A senior presidential official said the government was reviewing various options, including non-combat and search-and-rescue contributions, while ensuring that the country’s defence readiness on the Korean Peninsula was not compromised.
South Korean media have reported that options under consideration include maritime patrol aircraft, explosive ordnance disposal teams and other equipment for detecting or clearing naval mines. Any overseas deployment of military forces would require approval from the National Assembly.
The discussions come amid pressure from US President Donald Trump for Seoul to contribute to efforts to secure navigation through Hormuz.
The developments came 191 days into the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28.
Iran said it would announce a new restricted zone in the Gulf in the coming days, alongside maps for a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said the proposed zone would begin from the line of the US naval blockade and cover parts of the Gulf. He said vessels entering the area could be placed on an Iranian sanctions list.
Rezaei also said Iran and Oman had agreed on a map governing entry and exit routes through Gulf waters and that the arrangement was close to being signed.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said negotiations with Oman had reached their final stages over a temporary navigation arrangement through Hormuz and that the agreement could be registered with the International Maritime Organization.
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply amid the latest escalation.
Reuters, citing ship-tracking company Kpler, reported that an average of 10 cargo ships a day crossed the waterway over the previous 10 days, the lowest level since May. Only two ships crossed on Saturday, September 5, and six on Sunday, September 6, with most travelling through the Iranian side.
Oil prices moved higher on Monday, with Brent crude approaching USD 100 a barrel as renewed attacks on maritime targets raised concerns about further disruption to global supplies.
UAE diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash said Iran had launched around 3,300 missiles and drones at the UAE over several weeks, with the vast majority targeting civilian infrastructure.
Most of the projectiles were intercepted by UAE air defences, Gargash said while speaking at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi.
He said the attacks demonstrated the capabilities of the UAE Armed Forces and the country’s wider resilience. Despite the strikes, he said, the economy had continued to grow, although some sectors were affected.
Gargash said the conflict would reshape the region’s geopolitical landscape and leave the Gulf facing a more complex and uncertain future.
He described the attacks on Gulf countries that had not attacked Iran as a “premeditated war of choice” and a failure of strategy and statecraft.
Gargash said Iran had damaged relationships with its neighbours that had taken decades to build. A functional relationship with Tehran could eventually be restored, he said, but rebuilding trust could take many years or even decades.
He also criticised the regional and international response, saying countries had failed to develop a sufficiently coordinated strategy to prevent the war, protect energy and maritime trade and contain the confrontation.
Gargash said no single state should control the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an international waterway of global importance.
He said using the waterway as an instrument of coercion was unacceptable and that attacks on merchant vessels should have consequences.
The UAE is strengthening alternative trade and energy routes to reduce its exposure to disruption around the strait. Gargash said the country would not allow its energy exports to be held hostage by the conflict.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said Gulf states could not rely solely on strategic partnerships with the United States for their security.
He said international alliances remained important but argued that greater regional self-sufficiency was necessary.
Oman said it had completed support operations for the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Sidr after the vessel was struck by a projectile near Musandam Governorate.
An Oman Royal Navy vessel assisted the tanker’s 25-member crew, evacuating 16 people and providing medical treatment.
Two crew members died in the incident.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned of strikes against US energy companies following US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s threat to destroy Iranian tankers.
Ghalibaf said American oil and gas infrastructure in the region was exposed and warned that attacks on Iranian assets would trigger retaliation.
Baghaei said Iran considered its military actions, including strikes against US military bases in the Middle East, lawful acts of self-defence.
He cited Article 51 of the UN Charter and said Tehran was responding to what it described as a naval blockade and full-scale economic warfare.
Iran has also accused Washington of attacking civilians and commercial vessels and violating its sovereignty and international law.
Baghaei condemned a reported US attack on Sirik in Iran that he said killed a group of children.
He offered condolences to the victims’ families and said the incident demonstrated what he described as the United States’ view of the Iranian people.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the United States and Iran to return to negotiations and choose diplomacy over further attacks.
Addressing the Human Rights Council, Türk said reports of civilian deaths and injuries were particularly concerning, including casualties at a wedding in Hormozgan province.
He warned that the crisis was producing geopolitical and economic consequences around the world.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the agency’s Board of Governors on Monday that the watchdog had neither received information from Iran about its declared nuclear material and facilities nor obtained access for field verification during the latest reporting period.
Grossi said it had been more than a year since the agency lost continuity of knowledge about Iran’s previously declared stocks of uranium enriched to as much as 60%.
He described the lack of information and access as a serious proliferation concern and urged Tehran to co-operate fully.
The IAEA is also discussing with Iran the possibility of safely resuming inspections under the framework of the Cairo Agreement.
Bloomberg reported that the United States was proposing to refer Iran’s nuclear case to the UN Security Council over what Washington described as Tehran’s obstruction of nuclear inspections.
A draft resolution backed by European members of the IAEA Board of Governors calls on Iran to address alleged non-compliance and allow inspectors access needed to verify nuclear material.
The proposal also supports a diplomatic solution and encourages all sides to engage constructively.
Iran has warned that it would respond if the nuclear watchdog adopts a resolution against Tehran.
Israeli strikes on Kfar Reman in southern Lebanon killed at least 10 people overnight, according to reports.
Nine victims were killed when a building was struck, while another person died while travelling on a motorcycle.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned what he described as repeated Israeli attacks, including the killing of civilians, women and children and the destruction of homes.
Aoun backed the renewal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon mandate and said Beirut was working with French President Emmanuel Macron on the issue.
He also welcomed a French-Italian proposal to establish a European force to fill the security gap following UNIFIL’s withdrawal.
Baghaei accused Israel of violating Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said Israel had benefited from US support and international inaction, arguing that the developments highlighted the importance of protecting Lebanon’s ability to defend its sovereignty.
Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed its forces had shot down a Saudi CH-4 armed reconnaissance drone over al-Jawf province.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the drone was conducting what he described as hostile activities over Khabb wa ash Sha’af district when it was brought down with an unspecified weapon.
The Houthis also accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out air strikes and using cruise missiles against areas of Jawf, al-Bayda, Marib and Taiz.
Israeli military intelligence reportedly assesses that Iran’s Supreme Leader could decide to escalate the confrontation with Israel amid mounting pressure on Tehran.
An Israeli military exercise held on Sunday focused on a possible multi-front attack on Israel directed by Iran.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Iran’s threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear activities and support for regional armed groups continued to undermine global peace and security.
Canada said it would work with partners, including G7 countries, to maintain pressure on Tehran through sanctions and other measures.
Canada also said it supported efforts led by the United States, France and Britain to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Baghaei said the Strait of Hormuz had remained open until February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
He accused Washington of launching what he called an illegal war that disrupted commercial shipping, caused oil tankers to stop and pushed up energy prices.
Baghaei rejected attempts to blame Iran for the disruption, saying the United States had created the crisis and was seeking to make other countries bear its costs.
Former US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta warned that the war with Iran could continue for another six months.
He also cautioned that the United States risked becoming involved in an open-ended conflict and said turmoil at the Pentagon could send a message of weakness to Washington’s main adversaries.
The conflict has prompted Gulf countries to reassess their security arrangements and dependence on external powers.
Gargash said strategic autonomy had become a policy choice for the UAE, allowing it to protect its people, maintain economic activity and preserve independent decision-making.
Qatar’s al-Ansari similarly argued that Gulf states needed greater self-sufficiency in security despite the continuing importance of international partnerships.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the crisis, with reduced shipping, higher oil prices, competing military claims and diplomatic efforts involving Iran, Oman and other regional and international powers.
Any prolonged disruption to the waterway could affect global energy supplies, maritime trade and food security well beyond the Middle East.
This post was last modified on September 7, 2026 7:00 pm