South Korea begins probe into ship fire in Strait of Hormuz amid Iran dispute

SEOUL - South Korea's Oceans Ministry said on Friday (May 8) that government investigators had started examining the cause of an explosion and fire aboard a Korean-operated vessel amid uncertainty over whether it had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.

• The ship's operator HMM said investigators dispatched from South Korea boarded the vessel at around 0600 GMT (2pm Singapore time) after it had been towed to a port in Dubai.
• The spokesperson said it was to early to estimate when the probe would conclude.
• HMM earlier confirmed the ship, HMM Namu, completed berthing in Dubai by 2300 GMT on Thursday.
• The ship suffered an explosion and fire in the engine-room area on Monday while anchored near the United Arab Emirates, according to the company and Seoul officials.
• All 24 crew members, including six South Koreans, were unharmed.
• US President Donald Trump said Iran had fired at the South Korean vessel, and urged South Korea to join US-led efforts to secure shipping through the strait.
• South Korea's presidential office said on Wednesday it had suspended a review of whether to join the US escort operation, dubbed "Project Freedom", after Trump put the plan on hold.
• Iran's embassy in South Korea denied responsibility, saying it "firmly rejects and categorically denies" allegations that Iranian armed forces were involved in damage to the vessel.
• Iran's state-run Press TV later carried commentary suggesting a South Korean vessel had been targeted, but the Iranian embassy said the article was outside commentary and did not represent Tehran's official position.
• South Korea has said it is keeping all possibilities open, including whether the damage was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction, while prioritising fact-finding before deciding any response.
• The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, making the incident sensitive for South Korea, which depends heavily on imported energy.

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