Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Monday that Korea's decision to expand its anti-piracy naval unit's operational scope with mine-hunting assets is aimed at preparing for potential threats near the Strait of Hormuz that "cannot be entirely ruled out." Kang made the remarks after Seoul announced plans last week to expand the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit from the current zone in waters off the Somali coast to south of Oman in the Arabian Sea, about 650 kilometers away from the Hormuz strait. It is also seeking to deploy mine-sweeping vehicles and equipment, as well as an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team and the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Although Seoul has stressed that the move is strictly intended to protect Korean commercial ships and citizens from piracy, critics argue it amounts to a de facto military contribution to the U.S. war with Iran. "It is to prepare for threats that cannot be entirely ruled out," Kang said during a parliamentary session, responding to a lawmaker's question about why an EOD team was being deployed despite the ministry's assessm