South Korea confirmed on the 8th that its Ministry of National Defense had sent a survey team to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of preparations for a possible troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. The team is examining combat conditions, military bases, ports and the logistics of sustaining South Korean forces, although the ministry said the mission is not premised on deployment and that no decision has been finalized. Reports said the U.S. side cited the November 3 midterm elections while pressing Seoul to accelerate the process, but the ministry denied that Washington had set a November deadline. Because a proposed supply ship would take about a month to reach the area, patrol aircraft and other aerial assets are considered more likely options. Any deployment decision would need to be made this month to meet a November timetable and pass parliamentary approval procedures, which face opposition from Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Lee Ki-heon and Kim Yong-min and other pro-government parties. Iran warned that military presence or operational participation in the Strait of Hormuz would bring serious consequences and threatened retaliation. Hong Ik-pyo, a political affairs chief at Cheong Wa Dae, said further discussions would be needed after the president returned from overseas trips, reflecting divisions within the administration over South Korea's role in its relationship with the United States.