Erbil, Kurdistan Region - The South Korean government said on Wednesday that the missiles used in an attack on one of its vessels earlier this month in the Strait of Hormuz were Iranian missiles used by its navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and its proxy forces.
The HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by the Korean company HMM, was attacked by two unidentified airborne objects on May 4 while stuck in the strategic waterway due to the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel. The attack caused an explosion and a fire, with one crew member sustaining minor injuries.
Some 2,000 vessels, including oil and gas tankers, cargo ships, and tourist cruise liners, were stranded in the Persian Gulf after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz shortly after the US and Israel attacked the country on February 28, leaving around 20,000 seafarers stuck on these vessels.
"Technical analysis concluded that the unidentified airborne objects were likely Noor-series anti-ship missiles developed by Iran," First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
Park said at the press conference that the conclusion was based on analysis of debris from the projectiles, which was brought back to South Korea for examination.
When the South Korean cargo ship which was anchored at the UAE’s Umm Al Quwain was struck in early May, a ceasefire was in place between the warring parties, but the US had imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf on April 13 to pressure the regime in Tehran to sign a permanent ceasefire.
Iran retaliated by tightening its grip on the waterway and threatened to strike any vessels that crossed it without coordination with its IRGC navy. The IRGC fired cruise missiles and drones at several vessels in the Persian Gulf as it tried to cement its control over the waterway, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Park said the Iranian ambassador to South Korea would be summoned to the foreign ministry to deliver a strong protest and to “demand responsible measures, including measures to prevent recurrence” to be taken.