HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by Korean shipping company HMM, is on the waters off Guangzhou, China, Jan. 5. The vessel caught fire and had been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz since Monday. Reuters-Yonhap

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that a Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without U.S. protection in the Strait of Hormuz — a focal point of the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran.

“The corresponding ship, for several days before the fire broke out, had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement.

The remarks followed an explosion of unidentified cause that triggered a fire aboard the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by Korean shipping company HMM, Monday.

Trump claimed the following day that the vessel had been struck by Iran for sailing without U.S. escort. Iran, through its embassy in Seoul, has since denied any involvement in the explosion aboard the Korean-operated ship.

“Their ship was shot at. They were not in the cavalcade of ships they had. They decided to go it alone, and their ship got the hell knocked out of it yesterday,” Trump said, noting that Iran, on the other hand, “didn't shoot the ships that were guarded by us.”

The ministry's rebuttal comes as Trump cited Iran’s alleged strike as a reason for Korea to join “Project Freedom,” a U.S.-led operation primarily aimed at guiding stranded vessels out of the strait.

One of the world’s key energy chokepoints, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked by Iran since the war broke out on Feb. 28. HMM Namu is one of 26 ships linked to Korea that have been stranded in the vital waterway.

The damage sustained by HMM Namu earlier prompted Seoul to review whether it is necessary to join the U.S.-led operation amid persistent military tension in the Middle East.

However, Project Freedom was suspended just days after it was proposed, Monday, as Trump is moving to finalize a stalled peace deal with Iran. Seoul has now confirmed that such a review is no longer necessary, as the U.S. operation is on hold.

Source: Korea Times News