A South Korean cargo ship called HMM Namu reported a fire and explosion on Monday near the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump said on social media that the ship was attacked by Iran and invited the South Koreans to join his international coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz against Iranian terrorism.
South Korea’s foreign ministry reported the explosion and fire aboard the Namu, which is flagged to Panama and owned by South Korean shipping company HMM. The ship was anchored near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and was within the Strait of Hormuz at the time of the incident. The strait is bordered by the UAE and Oman to the south and Iran to the north.
The ship has a crew of 24, including 6 South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. No casualties were initially reported. The Korea Coast Guard said it was cooperating with maritime rescue agencies in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar and has requested their assistance.
According to HMM representatives, the fire originated on the port side of the Namu’s engine room and was followed by an explosion. The company said it was “not yet known whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction.”
“As the engine room is located in the lower part of the ship, it is difficult to access and extinguish the fire. Firefighting efforts are therefore taking longer than expected,” HMM said.
“The government will continue to communicate closely with relevant countries regarding the incident and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of South Korean vessels and crew members in the Strait of Hormuz,” said the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
The South Korean presidential office, known as Cheong Wa Dae or the “Blue House,” said it was unclear if the explosion was caused by an attack, and no meeting of the South Korean National Security Council has yet been called in response to the incident.
South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it was possible the explosion could have been caused by a sea drone or sea mine.
President Donald Trump appeared to be convinced Iran attacked the Namu in his Truth Social post on Monday afternoon.
“Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” Trump wrote.
Project Freedom is President Trump’s initiative for the U.S. Navy to provide protective “guidance” for international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The project officially began on Monday.
“We’ve shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, ‘fast’ Boats. It’s all they have left. Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait,” Trump said of Project Freedom’s progress so far.
Trump promised further details would be offered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Dan Caine in a press conference on Tuesday morning.
If the Naru was attacked, it would be the third Iranian attack on a commercial vessel in the past 24 hours, and the first attack on a South Korean ship since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury on February, 28. A tanker was reportedly hit by drones on Sunday, and a bulk carrier was attacked by the Iranian “fast boats” President Trump mentioned in his Truth Social post.