South Korean-run vessel ablaze in Strait of Hormuz; Trump says Iran fired at the ship

Follow our live coverage here.

SEOUL – Seoul said a South Korean-operated ship had an explosion and fire on May 4 in the Strait of Hormuz, in an incident that US 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 the authorities were investigating what caused the blaze.

Mr Trump said Iran fired shots at the South Korean cargo ship and some other targets as the US 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, an HMM spokesperson told Reuters, 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 United Arab Emirates oil port was ablaze after an Iranian strike as Mr Trump’s attempt to use the US 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,” Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post.

The South Korean government was checking intelligence that the vessel HMM Namu may have been attacked, Yonhap News Agency 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 that 26 South Korean-flagged vessels were stranded there. REUTERS