South Korea seeks cause of HMM Namu fire amid conflicting Iran claims

May 7 (Asia Today) -- South Korea said Wednesday it would focus first on determining the cause of a fire aboard the HMM Namu vessel before deciding on any response, as conflicting statements emerged from within Iran over whether the ship had been attacked.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said clarifying the facts and identifying the cause of the incident remain the government's top priorities.

"At this stage, what is needed first is determining the facts and identifying the cause," the official said, referring to a report by Iran's state-run Press TV claiming Iranian forces targeted a South Korean vessel for allegedly violating maritime regulations.

The official declined to assess whether the report could have been part of a political messaging campaign based on unverified information.

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The government instead pointed to an earlier statement from the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denying any military involvement.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly rejects and firmly denies all claims that Iranian military forces were involved in the incident involving damage to the South Korean vessel," the embassy said in its statement.

The Foreign Ministry said it is keeping all possibilities open but described the embassy statement as Iran's official position.

South Korea also declined to directly respond to claims by President Donald Trump that the HMM Namu may have been attacked after operating independently.

A ministry official said the vessel had been anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates inside the Strait of Hormuz area for several days before the fire broke out.

The South Korean government has been carefully managing relations with Iran during the broader Middle East conflict, maintaining its embassy in Tehran and dispatching a special envoy led by Foreign Minister Chung Byung-ha.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the HMM Namu was expected to arrive at a Dubai repair shipyard as early as Wednesday night for a detailed internal and external inspection.

An investigative team from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency departed for Dubai Tuesday night, while the South Korean Consulate General in Dubai is supporting the probe locally.

South Korea is also participating in discussions involving a multinational coalition led by Britain and France aimed at stabilizing the Strait of Hormuz following a possible ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

However, Seoul remains cautious about deploying military assets.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na said any operations outside the current mandate of the Cheonghae naval unit would require approval from the National Assembly.

"Our military is actively participating in consultations with the international community as part of global cooperation efforts, but nothing specific has been decided yet," she said.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260508010001678