US official says Strait of Hormuz 'completely open, controlled by US' amid Seoul weighing deployment

A U.S. official said Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open and controlled by the U.S. Navy as Korea weighs whether to deploy military assets. Seoul is reviewing the situation amid pressure from President Donald Trump and said it has sent an on-site investigation team. The defense ministry said the dispatch was not based on a decision to deploy forces.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping route for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities.

The U.S. official said millions of barrels of oil are transiting the strait daily.

The official said the U.S. Navy has cleared the strait of mines and that transit to and from non-Iranian ports will continue to ramp up.

Seoul's defense ministry said it sent an on-site investigation team to assess conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The ministry said the team was dispatched without a premise that Korean military assets would be deployed.

Published Sep 9, 2026 7:49 am KST

A motorboat travels past commercial vessels anchored amid haze in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sept. 7. AP-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — A U.S. official said Tuesday that the crucial Strait of Hormuz is "completely open and controlled" by the United States Navy, as Korea is weighing the potential deployment of military assets to help secure the waterway.

Seoul has been deliberating on whether to send military assets to help restore freedom of navigation through the strait, a key shipping route for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other commodities, amid increased pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The Strait is completely open and controlled by the United States Navy. Thanks to the historically successful blockade, nothing gets through to Iran, but the Strait is open for everyone else," the official said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.

"Millions of barrels of oil are transiting the Strait on a daily basis. Now that the United States Navy has cleared the Strait of mines, transit to and from non-Iranian ports will continue to ramp up even further."

The official was responding to questions about whether there have been any formal or informal discussions between Seoul and Washington on the issue, and whether the Trump administration has made specific requests for Korea to provide assistance in securing the strait.

Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday that it has sent an on-site investigation team to assess the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the dispatch was not decided on the premise of military deployment.

一位美国官员周二表示，霍尔木兹海峡完全开放，并由美国海军控制。与此同时，韩国正在权衡是否部署军事力量。在美国总统特朗普的压力下，首尔方面正在重新评估局势，并表示已派遣一个现场调查小组。韩国国防部表示，此次派遣并非基于部署兵力的决定。

霍尔木兹海峡是石油、天然气、化肥和其他商品的重要运输通道。

美国官员表示，每天有数百万桶石油通过该海峡。

该官员表示，美国海军已清除海峡中的水雷，往返非伊朗港口的运输量将继续增加。

首尔国防部表示，已派出一个现场调查小组评估霍尔木兹海峡的情况。

该部表示，派遣该小组的前提是韩国将部署军事力量。

发布于2026年9月9日 上午7:49（韩国标准时间）

9月7日，一艘快艇驶过伊朗阿巴斯港附近霍尔木兹海峡上空雾气弥漫的商船。美联社-韩联社

华盛顿——一位美国官员周二表示，至关重要的霍尔木兹海峡“完全开放并由美国海军控制”，而韩国正在考虑部署军事力量以帮助确保该水道的安全。

在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普不断施压的情况下，首尔一直在考虑是否派遣军事力量帮助恢复海峡的航行自由。海峡是石油、天然气、化肥和其他商品的重要运输通道。

“霍尔木兹海峡完全开放，由美国海军控制。由于历史上卓有成效的封锁，任何东西都无法进入伊朗，但海峡对其他所有国家都是开放的，”这位官员在回答韩联社的提问时说道。

“每天都有数百万桶石油通过霍尔木兹海峡。现在美国海军已经清除了海峡中的水雷，往返非伊朗港口的石油运输量将继续进一步增加。”

这位官员是在回答有关首尔和华盛顿之间是否就此问题进行过任何正式或非正式讨论，以及特朗普政府是否曾具体要求韩国协助维护海峡安全的问题时做出上述表态的。

首尔国防部周二表示，已派遣一个现场调查小组评估霍尔木兹海峡局势，并强调此次派遣并非基于军事部署的前提。