South Korea says to summon Iran ambassador over ship attack

SEOUL: Seoul said Wednesday it would summon Iran's ambassador to protest after a probe concluded that a strike on a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz was "highly likely" an Iranian-made missile.

The South Korean cargo ship was hit by unidentified aircraft on May 4 in the strait, a key waterway virtually closed since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.



US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had "taken some shots" at the Panama-flagged vessel while Tehran had denied responsibility for the attack.

Following a weeks-long investigation, the South Korean government said technical analysis concluded that the unidentified projectile that struck the vessel was "highly likely" an alternative version of the "Noor series developed in Iran".

"Our government plans to summon the Iranian ambassador to explain the investigation results, convey a strong protest regarding the attack on our vessel, and demand responsible measures, including steps to prevent a recurrence," first vice foreign minister Park Yoon-joo said during a briefing.

Park said the HMM Namu was attacked by two unidentified aircraft, adding the first warhead was incinerated while the second detonated.

"The engine resembled an Iranian turbojet engine, and parts were found to bear markings presumed to be from an Iranian manufacturer," he said.

The damage to the ship, which had 24 crew members on board, spanned about "five metres (16.5 feet) wide and extended roughly seven metres (23 feet) into the hull" on the port-side stern, according to the South Korean government.

The first strike is believed to have ignited an engine room fire, with the second appearing to have caused the blaze to spread rapidly.

A photo released by the foreign ministry shows the ship's engine room heavily burned.

Another photo shows a large breach in the outer hull near the stern, with twisted metal and internal frames visible around the impact area.

South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, relies heavily on Middle Eastern fuel imports, most of which transited through the Strait of Hormuz before it was effectively closed.
Catch all LIVE updates on the US-Iran conflict here.