Trump urges Seoul to join Hormuz mission after Iranian attack on Korean ship

President Donald Trump on Sunday called on South Korea to join Project Freedom, a U.S.-led naval mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after an explosion struck a South Korean-operated cargo ship in the contested waterway that Iran has effectively blocked since the start of the U.S.-Israeli conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply flows — has been blocked by Iran during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict, threatening global energy markets and trade routes critical to South Korea's export economy.

An explosion struck a Panama-flagged vessel operated by South Korean shipper HMM Co. while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Trump to publicly blame Iran on Truth Social and demand that Seoul contribute forces to the U.S. naval escort mission, according to The Korea Times.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump accused Tehran of targeting ships near the operation zone. "Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship," Trump said. "Perhaps it's time for South Korea to come and join the mission!"

In a second post, Trump described American countermeasures in the strait. "We've shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, 'fast' Boats. It's all they have left. Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait," he said.

U.S. Central Command put the number of Iranian vessels destroyed at six, one fewer than Trump's claim. "U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom," CENTCOM said in a social media post cited by The Korea Times. The command added that American forces also intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones during the operation.

The HMM vessel carried 24 crew members — six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals — and no casualties were reported. Project Freedom deploys more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members to escort commercial shipping and intercept Iranian threats, according to The Korea Times.

Trump's push on Seoul comes after he publicly criticized South Korea as "not helpful" despite the U.S. military presence there. Separately, the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany, and Trump threatened to raise tariffs on European Union vehicles to 25 percent from the current 15 percent.

South Korea has not announced any decision on whether to participate in Project Freedom. The strait accounts for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply, a transit corridor of outsized importance to South Korea's energy-dependent manufacturing economy.