South Korea plans to expand its anti-piracy mission off Somalia to waters near the Strait of Hormuz with additional military assets, including a maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team, to be deployed, officials said Thursday.

Axar.az reports, citing Yonhap, the move follows months of deliberation over its role in international efforts to keep the strategic waterway open since the U.S.-Iran war erupted in February. Seoul has effectively turned down requests from its ally Washington for military support against Tehran.

The revised deployment mandate for the Cheonghae unit, currently operating in the Gulf of Aden, will extend its operational area northeast to waters south of Oman in the Arabian Sea, officials said. The proposed expansion will roughly double its operational radius to about 1,930 kilometers.

Seoul will also deploy the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft to support the destroyer on the rotational mission escorting commercial ships and crews through the Red Sea and ensuring maritime safety in the region.

"Operations will remain restricted to the open waters south of Oman, and the maritime patrol aircraft will be prohibited from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz during their missions," a defense ministry official said.