S. Korea: Foreign ministry rejects Trump\u2019s claim over Korean ship sailing alone in Hormuz<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s assertion that a Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without U.S. protection in the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 a focal point of the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe corresponding ship, for several days before the fire broke out, had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d the ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The remarks followed an explosion of unidentified cause that triggered a fire aboard the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by Korean shipping company HMM, Monday.<\/p>\n
Trump claimed the following day that the vessel had been struck by Iran for sailing without U.S. escort. Iran, through its embassy in Seoul, has since denied any involvement in the explosion aboard the Korean-operated ship.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir ship was shot at. They were not in the cavalcade of ships they had. They decided to go it alone, and their ship got the hell knocked out of it yesterday,\u201d Trump said, noting that Iran, on the other hand, \u201cdidn\u2019t shoot the ships that were guarded by us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ministry\u2019s rebuttal comes as Trump cited Iran\u2019s alleged strike as a reason for Korea to join \u201cProject Freedom,\u201d a U.S.-led operation primarily aimed at guiding stranded vessels out of the strait.<\/p>\n
One of the world\u2019s key energy chokepoints, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked by Iran since the war broke out on Feb. 28. HMM Namu is one of 26 ships linked to Korea that have been stranded in the vital waterway.<\/p>\n
The damage sustained by HMM Namu earlier prompted Seoul to review whether it is necessary to join the U.S.-led operation amid persistent military tension in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
However, Project Freedom was suspended just days after it was proposed, Monday, as Trump is moving to finalize a stalled peace deal with Iran. Seoul has now confirmed that such a review is no longer necessary, as the U.S. operation is on hold.<\/p>\n
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said, \u201cIf it was not a strike, then many things change,\u201d adding that the issue would then be treated as a fire incident.<\/p>\n
As of Thursday morning, HMM Namu was being towed to a nearby port in Dubai to assess the extent of the damage and carry out repairs.<\/p>\n
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