The country
plans to send a P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, a naval logistics ship, and an
explosive ordnance disposal team to the Strait of Hormuz before year's end, if
approved by parliament.
This marks a change from its prior stance of waiting until any U.S.-Iran conflict ends, driven by the need to protect 70 percent of its crude oil imports that pass through the strait.
While the Blue House notes ongoing reviews and no final decision, consultations with the U.S., Britain, France, and neighbors are advancing, with a possible parliamentary vote this month.