HMM-operated vessel HMM Namu is seen in undated file photo. [NEWS1]
Conflicting claims from Iran's state media and the Iranian embassy in Seoul are fueling growing confusion over the explosion and fire aboard the Korean cargo ship HMM Namu near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
Iranian state-run news outlet Press TV reported that "Project Freedom," the U.S. initiative to guide stranded commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, had perished in 48 hours as "Trump retreats under the wall of Iran’s asymmetric deterrence," hinting that an Iranian attack caused the fire aboard the Korean-operated cargo ship.
An explosion and fire broke out on the port side of the engine room aboard the HMM Namu on Monday while the vessel was anchored near the United Arab Emirates in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian report claimed that “the targeting of a South Korean vessel that violated the new maritime rules defined by the Islamic Republic served as an unambiguous signal: Iran will enforce its sovereign rights with kinetic action.”
Although Press TV did not explicitly identify the attacked Korean vessel as the HMM Namu, the vessel was attacked on Monday, the first day of Project Freedom.
The report argued that the suspension of Project Freedom was not the result of goodwill from the United States but rather Iran’s immediate military deterrence capabilities.
A screen capture of an article from Iran's state-run news outlet Press TV published on May 6. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The report contradicted statements made a day earlier by Iranian diplomatic authorities.
"The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz," the Iranian embassy in Seoul said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the embassy, Thursday's report does not represent Iran's official stance.
"We would like to clarify that the article published by Press TV was an analytical commentary written by an external analysis desk and does not constitute an official statement or confirmed operational account issued by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran or the Iranian Embassy in Seoul," said the Iranian Embassy on Thursday.
The conflicting messages have been interpreted as Iran's attempt to maintain strategic ambiguity while simultaneously signaling, domestically and internationally, that it retains control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The map indicates where the Korean-operated HMM Namu experienced an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz. [MARINE TRAFFIC]
“If the Iranian government openly admitted to targeting a Korean civilian vessel, the issue could escalate into a war crime and trigger significant condemnation not only from Korea but also from the international community,” said Paik Seung-hoon, a researcher at the Institute for Middle Eastern Studies of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“Iran appears to be using state media to suggest it targeted a Korean vessel while officially denying it at the government level to show to both its own citizens and other countries that it still controls the Strait of Hormuz despite pressure from the United States.”
The Iranian embassy in Seoul had also warned a day earlier that vessels attempting to operate outside Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz could face consequences.
A large banner criticizing the United States and Israel and featuring a photo of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hangs on the exterior wall of the Iranian Embassy in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on March 12. [NEWS1]
"It is evident that, under such circumstances, any disregard for the declared requirements and operational realities in an environment influenced by military and security tensions may lead to unintended incidents," said the embassy on Wednesday.
Some analysts suggest the contradictory statements may reflect internal divisions within Iran’s leadership rather than a coordinated strategic message.
"Divisions are emerging not only between the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), but also within the IRGC itself as the war drags on,” said Jang Ji-hyang, the director of the Center for Regional Studies at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. “This incident also appears to show differing views within Iran’s leadership.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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