Trump says Iran attacked South Korean ship in Strait of Hormuz; Iran and Seoul dispute details

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Sunday and urged Tehran to clarify its stance on a recent attack involving a Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, the foreign ministry said. During the talks, Cho explained that the Korean government is conducting an additional investigation into the attack on the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by Korean shipping firm HMM Co., and asked the Iranian side to clarify its position on the facts surrounding the incident, according to the ministry. Cho also stressed the need to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation for all vessels, including Korean ships, in the conflict-hit strait. In response, Araghchi shared Iran's position on the current situation in the Middle East and agreed on the need to restore safe passage in the crucial waterway, while calling for a swift end to the ongoing standoff, the ministry said. The two sides agreed to maintain close communication to help ensure the safety of Korean vessels and crew members in the strait. A government investigation team e

A senior Korean government official said Thursday that Iran is almost certainly behind the attack on the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, while stressing that an investigation is still underway and vowing a "diplomatic offensive" against those responsible once confirmed. “Although the investigation is not yet conclusive, based on common sense, it is unlikely any actor other than Iran was responsible for the attack,” the official said, noting there were no pirates operating in the area at the time. The official said the government intends to launch diplomatic retaliation against those responsible once the investigation is complete. “If (the Korean government) provides (sound) evidence to Iran, I expect Iran would show us certain reactions. In order to do that, we need a thorough investigation,” the official said. The Korean government is sharing intelligence with the United States to jointly examine the incident. The attack on the HMM Namu was the 33rd such incident in the waterway, the official noted, adding that previous cases and responses a

A senior Korean government official said Thursday that Iran is almost certainly behind the attack on the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, while stressing that an investigation is still underway and vowing a "diplomatic offensive" against those responsible once confirmed. “Although the investigation is not yet conclusive, based on common sense, it is unlikely any actor other than Iran was responsible for the attack,” the official said, noting there were no pirates operating in the area at the time. The official said the government intends to launch diplomatic retaliation against those responsible once the investigation is complete. “If (the Korean government) provides (sound) evidence to Iran, I expect Iran would show us certain reactions. In order to do that, we need a thorough investigation,” the official said. The Korean government is sharing intelligence with the United States to jointly examine the incident. The attack on the HMM Namu was the 33rd such incident in the waterway, the official noted, adding that previous cases and responses a

A South Korean cargo ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz six days ago was struck by unidentified aircraft, the foreign ministry in Seoul said on Sunday, days after the fire-damaged HMM Namu arrived in Dubai. US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran had “taken some shots” at the Panama-flagged vessel and urged South Korea to join US operations aimed at restoring normal shipping through the strait. The vital waterway has been virtually closed since the United States and Israel launched a war...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that a Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without U.S. protection in the Strait of Hormuz — a focal point of the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran. “The corresponding ship, for several days before the fire broke out, had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement. The remarks followed an explosion of unidentified cause that triggered a fire aboard the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by Korean shipping company HMM, Monday. Trump claimed the following day that the vessel had been struck by Iran for sailing without U.S. escort. Iran, through its embassy in Seoul, has since denied any involvement in the explosion aboard the Korean-operated ship. “Their ship was shot at. They were not in the cavalcade of ships they had. They decided to go it alone, and their ship got the hell knocked out of it yesterday,” Trump said, noting that Iran, on the

Trump claims Iran has "taken some shots" at the South Korean ship and urges Seoul to join operations to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.