South Korea will expand the scope of regional missions by its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit to include the Strait of Hormuz. 

Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, the head of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, told reporters on Tuesday that he was briefed on the decision by the Defense Ministry. 

The Cheonghae unit is currently stationed in the Gulf of Aden.

The U.S. has been asking its allies, including South Korea, to join a military coalition in the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation amid simmering tensions between Washington and Tehran.