Unraveling the Attack: What the Wreckage of the HMM Namuh Reveals About Iran’s Involvement

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Debris from the aerial object that struck the South Korean cargo ship Namu in the Strait of Hormuz has arrived in South Korea. The government says specialized agencies will carry out a technical analysis.

On May 15, the Foreign Ministry said it coordinated with the United Arab Emirates government to transport the debris to Korea for examination by expert agencies. Officials said the material was carried on a commercial flight from Abu Dhabi to Incheon in a diplomatic pouch.
 
Experts, including personnel from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), are expected to lead the analysis.
 
According to the government, at about 3:30 p.m. local time on May 4 two unidentified aerial objects struck the outer plating of the port-side ballast tank at the stern of the HMM Namu twice, at roughly one-minute intervals. The impacts caused an explosion and a fire aboard the vessel.

The government is leaning toward Iran as the likely attacker.

A senior Foreign Ministry official told reporters at the ministry headquarters the day before, \”It’s unlikely that any actor other than Iran carried out the attack,\” and added, \”There were no pirates near the Namu.\”
 
\”Once the debris is in the country, Defense Ministry investigative agencies will conduct a thorough probe,\” the official said. \”The Defense Ministry has dispatched a technical analysis team. They will examine the circumstances and other evidence and report their findings to the public.\”
 
Separately, the government dispatched a technical analysis team of about 10 ADD experts to Dubai on May 13. They are expected to inspect the Namu, the recovered wreckage and the strike site.
 
The senior Foreign Ministry official emphasized, \”If the final investigation identifies the attacker, we will mount an appropriate diplomatic response.\”

Reporter Woojin Jung jwj3937@kukinews.com