Reporters field questions to Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Koozechi, center, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in central Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
On Sunday, the government announced that HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by Korean shipping company HMM, was struck by two unidentified objects while anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The announcement came days after Seoul dispatched a seven-member fact-finding team to investigate the damaged vessel in Dubai, where it had been towed. The delegation included three experts from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and four officials from the National Fire Agency.
During a briefing on the government’s findings, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ship’s stern was hit twice at one-minute intervals. The first strike triggered a fire in the engine room, and the second caused the blaze to spread further, according to the ministry.
The ministry stopped short of identifying the country responsible for the attack. It said the unidentified objects were captured in surveillance footage, but investigators were unable to determine the exact type, size or origin of the weapons used.
Nevertheless, circumstantial evidence has fueled speculation that Iran may have been involved.
Shortly before the briefing, Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Koozechi was seen entering the foreign ministry building. The envoy declined to answer questions regarding the purpose of his visit. The timing — arriving at the ministry on Sunday shortly before the government unveiled the results of the investigation — prompted speculation that the visit may have been related to the maritime incident.
The foreign ministry later said it had explained the investigation findings to the Iranian envoy, though it did not clarify whether Koozechi had been formally summoned.
Iran and the United States have given conflicting claims in the aftermath of the explosion aboard HMM Namu.
U.S. President Donald Trump alleged that Iran was responsible for the attack. “They were not in the cavalcade of ships they had. They decided to go it alone, and their ship got hell knocked out of it yesterday, but they didn't shoot the ships that were guarded by us,” Trump said on May 5, one day after the incident.
Source: Korea Times News
