TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A fire and explosion struck a Panama-flagged vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, May 4, 2026, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul reported, according to CNA.
The government is examining intelligence suggesting that the vessel, HMM Namu, may have been the target of an intentional attack, Yonhap News reported, citing government officials.
No casualties have been reported, and authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which HMM stated occurred in the engine room of the cargo ship.
The company confirmed that twenty-four crew members, including six South Korean nationals, were onboard the vessel at the time of the incident.
The US military reported that two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Gulf to break the Iranian blockade. They also noted that two US merchant ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz after Iran claimed to have blocked US warships from entering the waterway.
"Our government will communicate closely with relevant countries regarding this matter and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of our vessels and crew members inside the Strait of Hormuz," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Seoul reports that 26 South Korean-flagged ships remain stranded in the area.
Regional tensions escalated after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This attack prompted retaliation from Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation. However, subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The ceasefire was later extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump.
Read: Trump Prepares Project Freedom, Iran: Stay Away from Strait of Hormuz
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