Trump Accuses Iran of Attacking Cargo Ship, Pressures South Korea to Join Plan to Secure Strait of Hormuz

Trump accuses Iran — Reuters and AP reported on May 5 that South Korea's Foreign Ministry announced it would expedite an investigation into the fire aboard the HMM Namu, operated by HMM, South Korea's major shipping company, while in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, May 4 local time. Part of the statement noted that 'the true cause of the incident will be investigated after the ship is towed to port and damage assessed.' An HMM spokesperson confirmed the HMM Namu is a 35,000-ton general cargo vessel registered in Panama carrying no cargo, with the fire occurring in the engine room. The vessel has a crew of 24, including six South Koreans. The cause of the fire remains unclear and is under investigation via CCTV footage. The fire has been extinguished but may take several days to tow the ship to Dubai port in the UAE. Officials stated through Yonhapnews: 'our government will closely coordinate with relevant countries and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of our ship and crew in the Strait of Hormuz.' President Donald Trump claimed the incident resulted from an Iranian attack, emphasizing Iran fired on South Korea's cargo ship and other targets as the U.S. launches operations to open the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic, calling on South Korea to join U.S. efforts. South Korea indicated it would carefully consider Trump's request for countries to deploy warships to establish an allied fleet ensuring safe passage, stressing such action requires approval from South Korea's legislature. Earlier reports indicated several commercial vessels were attacked and a UAE port caught fire following Iranian strikes. Trump posted on Truth Social stating 'aside from the South Korean ship, there have been no other damages in the strait.' Meanwhile, China's Xinhua reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) revealed a new controlled area map in the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any vessel not complying with naval forces' orders would face serious risks. This controlled area extends from Iran's southern coast near Khormaksar to Fujairah in the eastern UAE and westward to the boundary between Iran's Qeshm Island and UAE's Umm Al Quwain in the Persian Gulf. IRGC spokesman Hosein Mohiebee stated the announcement does not represent a change in strait management procedures, and commercial vessels complying with navigation regulations set by the military will operate normally.