A South Korean bulk carrier operated by HMM was struck by two unidentified objects on 4 May while stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the foreign ministry said on Sunday. The incident occurred a week after Seoul reported a blast and fire aboard the same vessel, the HMM Namu, while anchored near the United Arab Emirates. No injuries were reported.
Details of the Incident
US President Donald Trump stated at the time that the incident was caused by an Iranian attack. Seoul is investigating, and the vessel was towed to a port in Dubai after the blaze on Monday, with an on-site inspection conducted on Friday. The objects were captured on surveillance camera, but their nature remains uncertain, the ministry said. Authorities plan to collect debris for analysis. The objects struck the left stern at approximately 3:30 pm on Monday, according to Park Il, the ministry's spokesperson.
The strike caused a fire that damaged a 7-by-5-metre area. Park noted that the incident was unlikely to have been caused by a sea mine or any internal issues with the ship's engine, generator, or boiler. "We assume the cause of the fire was irrelevant to internal issues on the ship," he said. South Korea is in contact with relevant countries, including Iran, regarding the incident. Iran has denied responsibility and did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal business hours. An HMM spokesperson declined to comment.
Regional Context
Meanwhile, Iran has sent its response to a US proposal to begin peace talks to end the war, the IRNA news agency reported on Sunday, as a single Qatari gas tanker was allowed to pass through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. The IRNA report stated that the response, sent to mediator Pakistan, would focus at this stage on ending the war, but no details were immediately available. After some 48 hours of relative calm following sporadic clashes last week, hostile drones were detected over several Gulf countries on Sunday, highlighting the ongoing threat despite a month-old ceasefire.
The QatarEnergy-operated carrier Al Kharaitiyat passed safely through the strait and was heading for Pakistan's Port Qasim, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler. This is the first Qatari vessel carrying liquefied natural gas to cross the strait since the US and Israel started the war on 28 February. Sources indicated that the transfer, which provided some relief to Pakistan after a wave of power blackouts caused by halted gas imports, had been approved by Iran to build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan, both mediators in the war. The US proposal would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program.
