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Seoul - South Korea has sent an inspection team to assess the security situation in the Strait of Hormuz but no decision has been taken on sending troops, the Defense Ministry has said. The announcement follows a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump in August to scale back U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, in part because South Korea had declined to help Washington in the U.S.-Iran war. The South Korean team departed for the United Arab Emirates over the weekend and is expected to return as early as this week, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Defense Ministry. The presidential office said Friday that Seoul was reviewing its options, including military measures, to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit route for global oil supplies. It denied media reports that the government had already decided on a deployment. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on X this week that any South Korean military presence or participation in operations in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz would be considered support for U.S. "aggression" and would have serious consequences. Meanwhile, South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed cooperation on security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during a summit in Paris on Tuesday, but the talks did not concern troop deployment, Seoul's presidential office said. Lee, on a state visit to France, said at a joint news conference that he had discussed the Strait of Hormuz with Macron as part of wider talks on international security issues. "South Korea and France agreed to continue close coordination so that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the stability of global supply chains can be restored swiftly," Lee said. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy transit route for South Korea, which relied on the waterway for 61% of its crude oil imports and 54% of its naphtha imports last year. In a briefing after the summit, South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said discussions focused on how South Korea could contribute to international efforts concerning maritime security in the strait rather than on troop deployment. "We are still in the review stage," Wi said, regarding Seoul's contribution options. "No decision has been made." Wi also said Iran had expressed interest and sought explanations through diplomatic channels following media reports about the possible South Korean role in Hormuz security efforts. He added that Seoul's review of Hormuz contribution options was unrelated to U.S. investment discussions, rejecting suggestions the two issues were linked.