Trump says Iran attacked S. Korean ship that skipped U.S. convoy

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran fired on a South Korean cargo ship near the United Arab Emirates after the vessel chose to sail independently rather than join a U.S.-escorted convoy through the Strait of Hormuz.

The episode sharpens the risk South Korea faces in the strait, through which the country imports roughly 43 percent of its oil, and raises urgent questions about maritime exposure for shipping firms that opt out of Washington's Project Freedom escort mission.

Trump made the remarks during a White House event, framing the incident as a direct consequence of HMM Co.'s decision to forgo U.S. protection. "By the way, their ship was shot at. They were not in the cavalcade of ships they had. They decided to go it alone, and their ship got hell knocked out of it yesterday, but they didn't shoot the ships that were guarded by us," Trump said, according to The Korea Times.

The explosion aboard the HMM-operated vessel occurred Monday while the ship was anchored off the UAE. Trump attributed the strike to Iran and said vessels sailing under American escort were unharmed. HMM Co. is one of South Korea's largest shipping companies.

Trump highlighted South Korea's reliance on the waterway during his remarks. "South Korea got 43 percent of it," he said, referring to the share of the country's oil imports that transit the strait, according to The Korea Times.

Washington launched Project Freedom to restore freedom of navigation after Iran effectively disrupted commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the broader Middle East conflict. The program offers U.S. military-escorted convoys to commercial vessels willing to participate.

South Korea's government said an investigation into the cause of the explosion was underway, The Korea Times reported. Officials did not immediately confirm whether hostile fire was responsible for the blast.

HMM Co.'s role as a flagship South Korean carrier means the incident could prompt broader industry scrutiny of risks facing vessels that sail the Strait of Hormuz outside of U.S. convoy protection.