Seoul announced the possibility of joining the US operation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The South Korean authorities are considering a US proposal to join the American operation Project Freedom by sending merchant ships blocked there through the Strait of Hormuz. CNN reported this on May 5, citing a statement from the country's Foreign Ministry.

"We are considering the US proposal for the Strait of Hormuz based on the principle, the state of military readiness on the Korean peninsula and domestic legislation," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Seoul also stressed that South Korea and the United States are working closely to ensure the safe use of key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz. The Korean Foreign Ministry also pointed out that the safety and freedom of navigation in international maritime traffic should meet the common interests of all countries and be protected in accordance with international law.

How to sail: US actions in the Strait of Hormuz undermine the peace process

By launching Operation Project Freedom, the US administration is trying to raise the stakes

On May 4, the Central Command of the US Armed Forces (CENTCOM) announced that the United States would begin supporting the Freedom Project on May 4 in order to restore freedom of navigation for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz with the participation of 15,000 military personnel.

On the same day, the head of the White House, Donald Trump, said that the Iranians would be "wiped off the face of the earth" if they attacked American ships in the Strait of Hormuz.