Regarding the explosion on the Korean HMM cargo ship Namuho in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on the 5th (local time) that it "was moving alone and came under attack from Iran."
At a White House event that day, President Trump noted that Korea procures 43% of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz and said, "Their ship was attacked. They were not in a convoy and chose to act alone." He added, "Their ship was shattered yesterday. But the ships the United States was protecting were not attacked."
He was effectively reiterating that Namuho, which had been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, moved alone and was attacked by Iran. On the 4th, President Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social that "Iran fired several times at countries unrelated to the (war), including a Korean cargo ship," and in an ABC interview he noted there "were shots aimed at a Korean vessel, a Korean ship sailing alone."
Although President Trump keeps saying it was struck by Iran, no specific evidence has been presented yet. The presidential office released in the morning of the 5th Korea time, "We still do not know the cause of the explosion. It is not yet clear whether it was an attack."
President Trump's remarks at the White House and elsewhere are drawing attention, as they appear to pressure Korea to join Project Freedom. Project Freedom refers to a military operation to support passage through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Minister of the Ministry of National Defense Pete Hegseth also said at a morning briefing when asked if there were signs that Korea would join "Project Freedom," "We hope that will be the case."
At about 8:40 p.m. the previous day, an explosion and fire broke out on the port side of the engine room of Namuho, which was anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Strait of Hormuz. A total of 24 people were on board, including six Korean crew members. Fortunately, there were no casualties.