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Iran’s Seoul embassy on Thursday denied that the country’s armed forces were involved in an explosion that damaged a South Korean-operated cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident occurred on Monday aboard the Panama-flagged cargo ship HMM Namu, which was carrying 24 crew members when a blast and fire broke out in the strategically important waterway.
Iran’s embassy said it "firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran" in the incident.
The embassy noted that Tehran had repeatedly described the Strait of Hormuz as part of Iran’s "defensive geography" since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February.
"Any disregard for the declared requirements and operational realities...may lead to unintended incidents," the statement read, adding that responsibility would fall on parties operating in the area without sufficient caution.
U.S. President Donald Trump earlier claimed that Iran had "taken some shots" at the vessel and called on South Korea to support U.S.-led operations aimed at restoring maritime traffic through the nearly closed strait.
Following Trump’s remarks, South Korea said it would review whether to join U.S. escort operations in the region.
However, the discussion lost momentum after Trump announced on Wednesday that the initiative had been paused as diplomatic contacts with Tehran accelerated.
South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac later said the suspension of the program, known as "Project Freedom," made the review unnecessary.
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