Trump urges Seoul to join mission to secure Strait of Hormuz PHOTO

US President Donald Trump has called on South Korea to take part in a mission aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Iran had attacked a South Korean cargo vessel.

The statement came after Iran’s response to the US operation to escort commercial ships through the strait.

“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! 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 wrote on Truth Social.

On May 5, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said an explosion occurred aboard a Panama-flagged vessel operated by major South Korean shipping company HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz. The ship was anchored near the United Arab Emirates at the time of the incident, with 24 crew members on board. No casualties were reported.

According to Yonhap, Trump’s renewed call increases pressure on Seoul, which relies heavily on energy imports transported through the Strait of Hormuz. In April, Trump had already criticised South Korea for not providing sufficient support to the United States despite the presence of US troops near North Korea.

By Jeyhun Aghazada