FM says too early to conclude who is behind Hormuz vessel strike, highlights multiple possibilities

▲ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun enters a meeting of the government's emergency economic task force at the government complex in Seoul on May 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

foreign minister-Hormuz vessel

FM says too early to conclude who is behind Hormuz vessel strike, highlights multiple possibilities

SEOUL, May 13 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday that it is too early to determine who was responsible for a recent strike on a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that various actors, including militias, could have been involved.

According to the findings of a government investigation team, two "unidentified airborne objects" struck the Panama-flagged cargo ship HMM Namu, operated by South Korean shipping company HMM, last week, causing an explosion and fire.

The government, however, has said the source of the strike and type of the objects have yet to be confirmed, adding that further analysis will be conducted on engine debris recovered from the scene.

Asked whether the objects may have been drones, Cho said, "At this point, it is difficult to identify them hastily.

"In particular, even within Iran, there could be multiple possible actors behind such a launch. There also could be militias," Cho said. "I am not saying we are specifically assuming that, but that possibility exists."

Experts have raised the possibility that the objects could have been suicide drones or anti-ship missiles.

Suicide drones, such as the Iranian-designed Shahed 136, are operated not only by Iran's regular military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but also by Iran-backed groups, such as the Houthis and other militias.

Cho's remarks indicate that even if the airborne objects are confirmed to have been Iranian-made drones, it may still be difficult to determine which actor launched them.

The government is working to bring the recovered engine debris to South Korea for a detailed forensic analysis. Cho has said the debris would arrive "soon."

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier claimed Iran had "taken some shots" at the HMM vessel and other targets, but the Iranian Embassy in Seoul stressed that Tehran "firmly and categorically" denies any involvement by its military in the incident.

Following Seoul's announcement, Iran has not issued any additional statement.

There were 24 crew members on the ship, including six South Koreans, and one crew member sustained minor injuries, officials said.

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