South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that a South Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without US protection in the Strait of Hormuz – a focal point of the ongoing Iran war.
“For several days before the fire broke out, the ship 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 South Korean shipping company HMM on Monday.
Trump claimed the following day that the vessel had been struck by Iran for sailing without US escort.
“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 other hand, “didn’t shoot the ships that were guarded by us”.
Iran has since denied any involvement in the explosion aboard the HMM Namu. On Thursday, Tehran’s embassy in Seoul said it “firmly rejects and categorically denies” allegations that its armed forces were behind the blast aboard the ship.
Tehran “has repeatedly emphasised that the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an integral part of its defensive geography”, the embassy said.
“Accordingly, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz requires full compliance with applicable regulations,” it said.
“Under such circumstances, any disregard for the declared requirements and operational realities … may lead to unintended incidents. Responsibility for such consequences rests with those parties that proceed with transit or activities in the area without due regard to these considerations.”
‘Ship was anchored’
HMM said on Wednesday that the HMM Namu was anchored when the explosion and fire broke out and was not attempting to exit the strait.
“I don’t know why Trump said that, but the ship was anchored and did not attempt to leave the strait for the last two months,” an HMM communication official said.
“Ships from around the world had gathered near Dubai to quickly leave through the strait in case the war ended. The explosion occurred under such circumstances.”
The ministry’s rebuttal comes as Trump cited Iran’s alleged strike as a reason for South Korea to join “Project Freedom”, a US-led operation primarily aimed at guiding stranded vessels out of the strait.
One of the world’s key energy chokepoints, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked by Iran since the war broke out on February 28. HMM Namu is one of 26 ships linked to South Korea that have been stranded in the vital waterway.
The damage sustained by HMM Namu earlier prompted Seoul to review whether it is necessary to join the US-led operation amid persistent military tension in the Middle East.
However, Project Freedom was suspended just days after it was proposed on Monday, as Trump moves to finalise a stalled peace deal with Iran. Seoul has confirmed that such a review is no longer necessary, as the US operation is on hold.
“If it was not a strike, then many things change,” a senior Blue House official said, adding that the issue would then be treated as a fire incident.
As of Thursday morning, HMM Namu was being towed to a nearby port in Dubai to assess the extent of the damage and carry out repairs.
This article was first published by The Korea Times
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse