South Korea plans to expand the operating area of its Cheonghae anti piracy unit toward waters nearer the Strait of Hormuz, the defence ministry says, following pressure from President Donald Trump over support for the Iran war.

A motion for parliament, which also needs cabinet and presidential approval, would let the unit work near the Omani port of Duqm, about 650 kilometres from the strait. Officials say the mission remains non combat, independent of allied forces, and limited to open waters south of Oman. Maritime patrol aircraft would be barred from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, territorial seas or the inside of the strait.

The unit has been based in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 with a destroyer, a helicopter, small boats and about 300 personnel. Reports say Seoul would add a P 8A patrol aircraft, raise staffing by about 75, and extend a Middle East deployment due to expire at the end of 2026.

Trump has criticised South Korea for what he called weak backing of the Iran campaign and scaled back major joint drills this summer. President Lee Jae Myung has said he will not send forces in a way that pulls the country into the fight, while reviewing a larger role in protecting navigation. South Korea took about 70 percent of its oil from the Middle East in 2025, most of it moving through Hormuz.

The proposal is therefore a careful compromise: edge closer to the chokepoint that feeds Korean industry, answer American complaints about burden sharing, and still keep Korean ships and aircraft outside Iranian waters and outside combat tasking.