An explosion and subsequent fire were reported on a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea is currently verifying the possibility of an attack on the vessel, as confirmed by officials on Monday. The foreign ministry official stated that there were no casualties among South Korean nationals onboard.
The ministry is actively working to assess the damage to the vessel and determine the responsible parties involved in the incident. If confirmed, this would be the first attack on a South Korean-flagged vessel since the strait was closed in late February due to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, leading to a regional crisis. Yonhap news agency reported that approximately 2,000 vessels, including 26 South Korean-flagged ships, are stranded in the strait.
Following the launch of “Project Freedom” by the US to free the stranded ships, tensions escalated as Iran criticized the operation as a violation of the ceasefire. Despite Trump extending the ceasefire deadline in April and urging Iran to propose a new peace plan, peace talks between the two sides remain at a standstill. The disruption in the strait, a vital route for global energy and goods trade, has impacted about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas shipments.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday that two US commercial ships had successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The US Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently active in the Arabian Gulf to support Project Freedom. CENTCOM stated that American forces are aiding in restoring transit for commercial shipping, with two US-flagged merchant vessels safely navigating through the strait.
