coordination

Iran’s top envoy to Seoul said Thursday South Korean ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but only with prior coordination with Tehran, saying that his country has asked Seoul to provide details of the vessels stranded in the key waterway amid the ongoing conflict.

Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi made the remarks in a press conference, as 26 South Korean ships with about 180 crew members aboard remain stranded in the shipping lane effectively blocked by Iran following attacks by the United States and Israel.

Koozechi also said that Iran considers South Korea a non-adversarial country.

“There are no problems with the vessels,” he said through an interpreter. “But in order for them to pass through, you need coordination, prior consultations with the Iranian military and government.”

Koozechi went on to say that Tehran had asked Seoul to provide the details of the stranded ships during the phone talks between their foreign ministers on Monday, without specifying whether the request was meant to start negotiations on the ships’ passage.

“Iran is acting in good faith and is willing to allow South Korean ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, but the process will depend on receiving the relevant information and the vessels list. Once they are provided, we will consider it,” he said.

When asked to confirm Iran’s request, Seoul’s foreign ministry said it was a request for cooperation on safety measures in the event of a humanitarian situation on the anchored vessels, and not related to their transit.

“We have not negotiated (with Iran) on (the passage) of vessels,” a ministry official said, adding that it has received no such request from Tehran, nor has it provided any details of the ships.

In the phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called on Tehran to ease tensions and ensure safe navigation through the vital waterway for global energy supplies.

Cho also requested Iran’s cooperation regarding the safety of stranded South Korean vessels and their crew, but the issue of permitting their transit was reportedly not addressed.

While Iran sees South Korea as a non-hostile country, restricting activities of ships engaged in business with U.S. companies has been unavoidable as part of its self-defense measures, the ambassador said.

“Imposing restrictions on them is only natural,” Koozechi said. “Blocking their activities and enforcing economic restrictions is Iran’s right to self-defense.”

Thursday’s press event featured a photo exhibition and documentary screening at the Iranian Embassy in Seoul. The materials highlighted the impact of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, including images of destroyed buildings and footage of children killed in an airstrike at an elementary school and their grieving families.

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The Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration agreed to conduct anti-drone laser tests in New Mexico after the military’s deployment of the lasers led the FAA to suddenly close airspace in Texas twice in the last month.

The newly announced testing was being carried out to “specifically address FAA safety concerns,” the military said Friday in a statement. It was to take place over the weekend at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Lawmakers were concerned about an apparent lack of coordination after the Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser in early February without notifying the FAA. The federal agency that ensures safety in the skies decided to close the airspace over El Paso for a few hours, stranding travelers.

The Trump administration said it was working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, which are not uncommon along the southern border.

On Feb. 26 the U.S. military said it used the laser to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said.

The incident led the FAA to close the airspace around Ft. Hancock, about 50 miles southeast of El Paso.

“We appreciate the coordination with the Department of War to help ensure public safety,” the FAA said of the testing in a separate statement, referring to the Department of Defense. “The FAA and DOW are working with interagency partners to address emerging threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems while maintaining the safety of the National Airspace System.”

The military is required to formally notify the FAA when it takes any counter-drone action inside U.S. airspace.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the ranking member on the Senate’s aviation subcommittee, previously called for an independent investigation after the two February incidents.

Ding writes for the Associated Press.