Iranian ambassador warns against 'adventurist' USFK mobilization, calls on Seoul to do more
Published: 05 Mar. 2026, 17:23
Updated: 06 Mar. 2026, 14:45
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- SEO JI-EUN
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Saeed Koozechi, Iran’s ambassador to South Korea, holds a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on March 5 regarding the recent airstrikes on Iran. Police officers were stationed outside the embassy during the event. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/06/80605bfa-d74f-4c9a-b633-408c7bbeff24.jpg)
Saeed Koozechi, Iran’s ambassador to South Korea, holds a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on March 5 regarding the recent airstrikes on Iran. Police officers were stationed outside the embassy during the event. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]
Iran’s top diplomat in Seoul warned Thursday that the potential mobilization of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) for the escalating conflict in the Middle East would be an "adventurist" move that would effectively treat South Korea as a logistical platform for external wars.
"The United States often acts as if the land hosting its overseas bases is its own, bypassing the consent of host nations," Ambassador Saeed Koozechi said through an interpreter at a press conference held at the Iranian Embassy in Seoul, addressing reports of potential U.S. troop reallocations. "We cannot rule out [retaliatory] efforts if the U.S. attempts to utilize military capabilities, weapons or troop deployments from South Korea. If the U.S. pursues such adventurist actions […] it will likely lead to many casualties."
The ambassador's remarks come amid heightened speculation over "strategic flexibility," a doctrine that allows the United States to redeploy its Korea-based assets to other global hotspots.
Earlier in the day, local media reported that Seoul and Washington were "in consultations" on the deployment of USFK assets to the Middle East, while Seoul's Ministry of National Defense remained cautious toward a confirmation.
![A memorial portrait of Iran’s late supreme leader and photos showing damage from recent airstrikes are displayed at the venue for a press briefing at the Iranian Embassy in Seoul on March 5. [SEO JI-EUN]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/06/c7e23a7f-f0a6-4808-aca1-9de1934963a1.jpg)
A memorial portrait of Iran’s late supreme leader and photos showing damage from recent airstrikes are displayed at the venue for a press briefing at the Iranian Embassy in Seoul on March 5. [SEO JI-EUN]
In a separate press release, the embassy underscored that Iran’s countermeasures are strictly guided by the "principle of responding to aggression."
"Tehran’s military operations are exclusively targeted at forces complicit in attacks on Iranian territory and the specific military bases utilized for those strikes," it wrote.
Regarding the growing anxiety over global energy supplies, Koozechi clarified that Tehran has not taken the step of formally closing the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for South Korean crude oil imports.
"We have made no official announcement to blockade the Strait," the envoy said, adding that shipping companies and insurers appear to be acting cautiously amid the conflict.
Koozechi also took aim at Seoul's diplomatic stance, characterizing it as "insufficient" for a country of its economic stature. On Monday, two days after the reported death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Park Il, the spokesperson for Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a measured statement aligning with Washington’s justification for the strikes as a pre-emptive move to stop Iran’s nuclear development.
"South Korea is leading in business and economy, and we expect Seoul to play a more active role in stopping this conflict," he said, drawing a comparison with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s vocal condemnation of the military strikes.
On the other hand, Koozechi expressed formal gratitude for North Korea’s recent condemnation.
"Iran and North Korea share a close relationship," he said. "We appreciate North Korea’s stance in condemning this aggression."
The envoy further characterized the current situation as a breakdown of global order, saying that those who fail to speak out are allowing the world to revert to the "law of the jungle," where international charters and constitutions are ignored in favor of raw military power.
![Iranian Ambassador Saeed Koozechi observes a moment of silence for schoolchildren killed in a recent strike, which he said claimed at least 165 lives, ahead of a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in central Seoul on March 5. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/06/6fbfd071-0c7e-4a48-92da-afcde4b9f97a.jpg)
Iranian Ambassador Saeed Koozechi observes a moment of silence for schoolchildren killed in a recent strike, which he said claimed at least 165 lives, ahead of a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in central Seoul on March 5. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]
He dismissed recent antigovernment protests held by a segment of the community — estimated at around 100 people out of approximately 3,000 Iranians in the country — as a marginal group that has "lost touch with their homeland."
"It is deeply regrettable to see Iranians waving the flag of the Israeli regime, especially after the tragedy in June where 1,200 of our people were killed," the envoy said. "Those who welcome foreign aggression against their own country cannot be considered Iranian. I would say Iranian blood doesn't flow in their veins."
The ambassador specifically criticized protesters for holding portraits of the exiled Pahlavi Crown Prince, accusing the former royal family of remaining silent on the deaths of 165 Iranian schoolgirls in a bombing.
"One may criticize their government," Koozechi added. "But to celebrate a military attack on one's own people is an inhumane act that falls outside the bounds of national identity."
The press conference marked the first time the Iranian ambassador made public remarks since the U.S.-Israeli military strikes on his country. The Israeli Embassy in Seoul also held a press conference on the same day, trading blame for civilian casualties and the disruption of global logistics.
BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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