A South Korean shipping company announced Wednesday that it has arranged for a rescue vessel to pull one of its damaged cargo ships to a Dubai port following an explosion and fire that left the vessel stranded in Middle Eastern waters.
The incident has drawn international attention after President Donald Trump accused Iran of attacking the ship, though South Korean officials say they won’t determine what caused the blaze until the vessel reaches port and undergoes a thorough examination.
According to HMM, the shipping company, the damaged vessel should reach Dubai either Thursday evening or Friday morning, Seoul time.
The cargo ship, flying under Panama’s flag and called HMM Namu, experienced an explosion and burst into flames Monday evening. Company officials report that crews successfully put out the fire, and all 24 sailors aboard the vessel are safe with no injuries reported.
Trump took to social media to claim that Iran had “fired shots at a Korean-operated ship and other targets” during a U.S. military operation aimed at keeping the strait open for shipping traffic. He called on South Korea to support the American effort. The waterway typically handles roughly 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
South Korean leadership has shown reluctance to get deeply involved in Middle Eastern tensions, though the presidential administration said Tuesday it was considering Trump’s request for Seoul to join the navigation security mission.
Trump later announced he would temporarily halt the escort operation through the critical shipping lane, saying there had been “great progress” toward reaching a broader deal with Iran.
