President Lee Jae Myung faces a challenge posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz, as he seeks to balance South Korea’s commitment to the U.S. alliance while maintaining stable relations with countries in the Middle East. Analysts said Monday that rejecting the request could strain the alliance, a central tenet of Lee’s foreign policy, by aggravating Trump’s dissatisfaction with Seoul. Trump included South Korea among five countries — alongside China, France, Japan and the United Kingdom — in a social media post Saturday, asking them to send warships in support of a U.S.-led effort to secure the strait. Iran has effectively blockaded the vital Gulf shipping route amid a widening conflict with the U.S. and Israel since Feb. 28, allowing passage to all vessels except those of the U.S. and its allies. Analysts also warned that Trump could use the request as leverage to accelerate the repositioning of U.S. assets — including the Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems — from South Korea to the Middle East. Acce