South Korea has confirmed that unidentified aircraft struck one of its cargo vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, days before the fire‑damaged HMM Namu limped into port in Dubai. The attack comes amid soaring regional tensions and a near‑shutdown of one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
According to Seoul’s foreign ministry, the HMM Namu was hit on Monday when two airborne objects struck the outer plate of the ship’s port‑side ballast tank at one‑minute intervals, triggering flames and thick smoke. CCTV footage captured the incoming objects, but officials say the images are not clear enough to determine their type, origin or size. Investigators will now analyse engine debris and other fragments recovered from the vessel.
The blast tore open a section of the hull roughly five metres wide and seven metres deep, with the first strike believed to have ignited the engine‑room fire and the second accelerating its spread. All 24 crew members survived.
The incident has drawn international attention after US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had “taken some shots” at the Panama‑flagged vessel and urged South Korea to join American efforts to restore safe passage through the strait. The waterway has been effectively paralysed since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to retaliate across the Middle East and tighten its grip on the strategic chokepoint.
Iran has denied any involvement, with its embassy in Seoul issuing a statement rejecting the allegations “categorically and firmly.”
As global shipping companies reroute vessels and energy markets brace for further disruption, the attack on the HMM Namu underscores the volatility now gripping one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors.
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