Seoul: A senior South Korean government official said Thursday the possibility of a non-Iranian actor being behind last week's attack on a South Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz appears low, while stressing that an investigation is still under way.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the official stated that the government was focusing efforts on gathering evidence to support such an assessment regarding the strikes against the Panama-flagged cargo vessel operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co. on May 4. "There may still be a possibility of another actor besides Iran, but common sense suggests it is not high. There were no pirates nearby," the foreign ministry official said.
The official, however, emphasized that such an assessment can only be confirmed if the final investigation results identify an Iranian actor as being behind the attack. Seoul has been investigating the incident, which was determined to have been caused by a strike by two unidentified flying objects. The suspected attack destroyed the engine room and left a 7-meter-deep puncture on the ship's stern.
According to the defense ministry, the government dispatched a 10-member technical analysis team to Dubai on Wednesday to conduct a scientific investigation and determine the cause of the incident. The official added that Seoul expects "an appropriate response" from the Iranian side if further investigations produce evidence supporting such an assessment.
The official noted that this incident marked the 33rd case involving an attack on a civilian vessel since the U.S.-Iran war, adding that the government is reviewing response measures taken by other countries in previous cases. Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated the government will conduct an additional investigation into the incident and will pursue necessary diplomatic response measures.
The minister added that the government intends "to continue consultations with relevant nations, based on our position that attacks on civilian vessels, including the HMM Namu, can never be justified or tolerated under any circumstances."