South Korea rules out military deployment to Iran war despite Trump pressure

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday his country will not deploy troops or military assets to the Middle East in any way that could draw it into the Iran war, resisting pressure from Donald Trump. "There won't be deployment that would involve or enter war," Lee said at a news conference, while adding Seoul is reviewing a greater role in safeguarding navigation, including protecting commercial and crude oil shipments. Trump had criticized Seoul for insufficient support and scaled back major joint US–South Korea military drills this summer. Seoul had been considering a deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, an idea unpopular at home.