SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Wednesday that an older Iranian anti-ship missile is highly likely to have struck the cargo ship HMM Namu earlier this month, signaling a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions. The conclusion marks a decisive shift from the stance of strategic caution maintained by South Korea since the May 4 attack in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to earlier government briefings and maritime records, the HMM Namu, a 38,000-ton multipurpose heavy-lift cargo ship delivered to the South Korean shipping firm HMM in early 2026, was anchored near the United Arab Emirates when two unidentified flying objects struck its stern, triggering an engine room explosion and fire that disabled the ship without causing a catastrophic hull breach.
Foreign ministry investigators determined that the weapon used in the incident was likely an Iranian Noor anti-ship missile. Officials noted that an engine component recovered from the explosion site is highly similar to Iranian-made turbojet engines.
Government officials stated that multiple pieces of physical evidence are now pointing toward Iran as the entity behind the attack. In response to the forensic findings, South Korea plans to summon the Iranian ambassador to lodge a strong protest and demand formal guarantees against any recurrence.
The ministry did not disclose the specific timing for the official diplomatic summons. Officials also noted that the intentionality of the attack remains difficult to confirm unless the governing authority or group responsible explicitly admits to the action, while Iran has vehemently denied any involvement in the maritime incident.
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