Seoul ¨C Seoul said a South Korean-operated ship had an explosion and fire on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, in an incident that U.S. President Donald Trump said was caused by Iranian attack.
The ?South Korean foreign ministry said a fire and ?an explosion occurred ?on the vessel operated by South Korean shipper ?HMM. It added that no casualties were reported and authorities were investigating what caused the blaze.
Trump said Iran fired shots at ?the South Korean cargo ship and some other targets as the U.S. launched ?an operation seeking to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. He urged South Korea to join that ?effort.
The fire broke out ?in the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo ship, where 24 crew members, including six ?Korean nationals, were on ?board, a HMM spokesperson said, adding that ?the cause of the fire was not clear ?at the ?moment.
A handful of commercial vessels were reported to have been hit and a UAE oil port was ablaze after an Iranian strike as Trump¡¯s attempt to use the U.S. ?Navy to free up shipping provoked the war¡¯s biggest escalation since a ceasefire was declared four weeks ago.
¡°Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the ?Strait,¡± ?Trump said in a Truth Social post.
The South ?Korean government was checking intelligence that the vessel, HMM Namu, might??have been attacked, Yonhap News reported, citing government officials.
¡°Our government will communicate closely with relevant countries regarding this matter and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of our vessels ?and crew members inside the Strait of Hormuz,¡± South Korea¡¯s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Seoul has said 26 South Korean-flagged vessels were stranded there.?
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