An explosion and fire broke out on a South Korean-linked vessel at the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said, on the same evening that Iran was accused of launching a missile and drone barrage at the United Arab Emirates.
The Panama-flagged ship was carrying 24 crew, including six South Koreans, and was docked near the strait close to UAE waters when the blast occurred. No casualties have been reported.
The cause of the explosion has not been determined, the ministry said, and Seoul is still verifying the extent of the damage.
“The government will closely communicate with the relevant countries on this issue and take necessary measures for the safety of our ships and crew members within the Strait of Hormuz,” it added.
Twenty-six South Korea-related vessels have been stranded at the strait since the war in the Middle East began on February 28, illustrating the wider paralysis of global shipping in the chokepoint that carries roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and gas. The blast came hours after the UAE intercepted Iranian missiles and accused Iran of striking an ADNOC tanker and an oil facility in Fujairah.
Iran has barred most non-Iranian shipping from the Gulf since the US-Israel campaign began and has threatened unauthorised transits with force. Seoul has not attributed the explosion to any party. The disruption adds to the upward pressure on shipping insurance and bunker fuel costs that have squeezed Sri Lanka’s crude import pipeline over the past month.
Source: Ada Derana (CNN agency report).
