South Korea protests to Iran over suspected missile attack on vessel

South Korea has formally protested to Iran after concluding that a commercial vessel linked to the country was likely targeted by Iranian-made missiles in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month.

On May 27, Seoul summoned Iran’s ambassador, Saeed Koozechi, to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs following an internal assessment of a May 4 incident involving the vessel HMM Namu. According to First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, the ship was attacked by two anti-ship missiles believed to be of Iranian origin.

The South Korean government issued a strong protest and called on Tehran to take steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.

Park stated that preliminary findings suggest the use of missiles from the “Noor” family, which are deployed by Iran’s navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and can also be used by groups affiliated with Iran. However, he emphasised that authorities have not been able to determine the precise launch location, identify those who fired the missiles, or establish the intended target of the attack.

“Various pieces of evidence point to Iran,” Park Yoon-joo said.

The incident in question occurred on May 4, when an explosion was reported aboard the HMM Namu, a South Korean vessel operating under the Panamanian flag. One crew member sustained minor injuries. At the time, the ship was anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

US President Donald Trump said the explosion may have resulted from an Iranian attack, although Tehran has denied any involvement in the incident.

By Tamilla Hasanova