South Korean-operated vessel ablaze in Hormuz; Trump says Iran fired at ship

Seoul said a South Korean-operated ship had an explosion and caught fire on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, in an incident which U.S. President Donald Trump said was caused by an Iranian attack.

The South Korean foreign ministry said a fire and an explosion occurred on the vessel operated by South Korean shipper HMM 011200.KS. It added that no casualties were reported and authorities were investigating what caused the blaze.

Trump said Iran fired shots at the South Korean cargo ship and some other targets as the U.S. launched an operation seeking to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. He urged South Korea to join that effort.

The fire broke out in the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo ship with 24 crew members, including six Korean nationals, on board, an HMM spokesperson said, adding that the cause of the blaze was unclear and being investigated.

The fire had now been extinguished, surveillance camera footage showed, and it could take several days to tow the vessel to Dubai, the spokesperson said.

A handful of commercial vessels were reported to have been hit and a UAE oil port was ablaze after an Iranian strike as Trump's attempt to use the U.S. Navy to free up shipping provoked the war's biggest escalation since a ceasefire was declared four weeks ago.

"Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

The South Korean government was checking intelligence that the vessel, HMM Namu, may have been attacked, Yonhap News reported, citing government officials.

"Our government will communicate closely with relevant countries regarding this matter and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of our vessels and crew members inside the Strait of Hormuz," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Seoul has said 26 South Korean-flagged vessels were stranded there.

The 35,000-ton general cargo vessel was not carrying anything, the HMM spokesperson said.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard said in a note that authorities would look at whether the damage might have been caused by an attack, a drifting sea mine or another external object.

Trump in a post on Truth Social also suggested it could be time for South Korea to join his new effort to help guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea has previously said it would carefully consider Trump's call for countries to deploy navy ships to form a coalition to ensure safe passage through the waterway, while also stressing such a move would require legislative approval.

-Hyunjoo Jin and Heejin Kim/Reuters