SEOUL: Iran denied on Thursday that its armed forces had been involved in an explosion that struck a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz this week.
Tehran “firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz,” its embassy in Seoul said in a statement.
In a post on social media, US President Donald Trump said Iran fired shots at a Korean-operated ship and other targets as the US launched its operation to open the strait.
The Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipper HMM was empty and at anchor when the explosion and fire occurred.
Korea’s foreign ministry said there were no casualties and the fire had been extinguished. The ship, called HMM Namu, would be towed to a nearby port for a damage assessment and repairs, it said.
An HMM spokesperson said the 24 crew remained on board the 35,000-tonne general cargo vessel.
The fire had broken out in the engine room and surveillance camera footage showed it had been extinguished, the spokesperson said.
