South Korean FM urges Tehran to clarify stance on attack on HMM Namu vessel

Seoul, May 17 South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Sunday and urged Tehran to clarify its stance on a recent attack involving a vessel operated by his country in the Strait of Hormuz, the Foreign Ministry said.

During the talks, Cho said that the South Korean government is conducting an additional investigation into the attack on the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co., and asked the Iranian side to clarify its position on the facts surrounding the incident, according to the ministry, Yonhap news agency reported.

Cho also stressed the need to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation for all vessels, including South Korean ships, in the conflict-hit strait.

In response, Araghchi shared Iran's position on the current situation in the Middle East and agreed on the need to restore safe passage in the crucial waterway, while calling for a swift end to the ongoing standoff, the ministry said.

The two sides agreed to maintain close communication to help ensure the safety of South Korean vessels and crew members in the strait.

A government investigation team earlier concluded a strike by two unidentified flying objects caused an explosion and fire aboard the HMM Namu on May 4. The presidential office has said it is working to determine who was behind the attack.

The debris from airborne objects that struck an HMM-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4 arrived in South Korea on Friday to undergo analysis.

A senior South Korean government official said Thursday the possibility of a non-Iranian actor being behind the May 4 attack on a HMM Namu appears low, while stressing that an investigation is still underway.

The official said the government was focusing efforts on gathering evidence to support such an assessment regarding the strikes against the vessel.

South Korea sent a technical analysis team to Dubai earlier this week to investigate the attack.

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