SEOUL — Iran has formally denied any involvement in an explosion that hit a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. The blast and subsequent fire occurred on Monday onboard the Panama-flagged HMM Namu, which was carrying 24 crew members at the time. Tehran “firmly rejects and categorically denies allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz,” the Iranian embassy in Seoul said in a statement on Thursday. In a post on social media, US President Donald Trump said Iran fired shots at a Korean-operated ship and other targets as the US launched its operation to open the strait. The Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipper HMM was empty and at anchor when the explosion and fire occurred. Korea’s foreign ministry said there were no casualties and the fire had been extinguished. It said the 35,000-ton cargo vessel would be towed to a nearby port for a damage assessment and repairs. The fire had broken out in the engine room and surveillance camera footage showed it had been extinguished, an HMM spokesperson said.
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