South Korea rejects Trump’s claim that ship was hit because it ‘decided to go it alone’

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Iran says it ‘firmly rejects and categorically denies’ allegations that it was responsible for the explosion on board the HMM Namu

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The Korea TimesPublished: 3:18pm, 7 May 2026South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that a South Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without US protection in the Strait of Hormuz – a focal point of the ongoing Iran war.“For several days before the fire broke out, the ship had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement.

The remarks followed an explosion of unidentified cause that triggered a fire aboard the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by South Korean shipping company HMM on Monday.

AdvertisementTrump claimed the following day that the vessel had been struck by Iran for sailing without US escort.

“Their 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,” Trump said, noting that Iran, on the other hand, “didn’t shoot the ships that were guarded by us”.

Iran has since denied any involvement in the explosion aboard the HMM Namu. On Thursday, Tehran’s embassy in Seoul said it “firmly rejects and categorically denies” allegations that its armed forces were behind the blast aboard the ship.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x