Ambassador denies Iranian involvement after Korea concludes ship was hit by Iran-linked missiles

Iranian Ambassador Saeed Koozechi takes questions from the press as he departs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul after being summoned on May 27, 2026, over the strike on a Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz. (Yonhap)

The South Korean government effectively named Iran as being responsible for projectiles that struck the South Korean container ship HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz, commenting Wednesday that there was a strong possibility the objects in question were Iranian anti-ship missiles.The Iranian ambassador to South Korea denied any Iranian involvement.On Wednesday, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo announced final findings from the investigation into the strike on the Namu.“Based on a technical analysis of the debris, including the projectile’s engine, warhead, explosives, and fuselage, we have concluded that [the projectiles that struck the Namu] were very likely to have been anti-ship missiles from the Iranian-developed Noor series,” he said.“The engine was similar to an Iranian-produced turbojet engine, and the components were found to have what are believed to be Iranian manufacturer stamps,” he explained.“While it cannot be said definitively who exactly was responsible [for the strike], various evidence at the moment is pointing to Iran,” he said.Park explained, “On May 4, the Namu was attacked twice with airborne projectiles that are very likely to have been missiles.”“The first warhead did not detonate, while the second warhead did detonate,” he added.Also attending the briefing was Rear Adm. Ryu Youn-sang, the deputy minister for international affairs at the Ministry of National Defense, who said that the fact that two projectiles were launched is being interpreted as “signaling a clear intent to cause damage.”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi to its complex to protest the strike.Koozechi told reporters that the damage to the South Korean vessel was “regrettable” but that there had been “absolutely no Iranian involvement.”By Jang Ye-ji, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]