Seoul blames Iran for Korean ship attack, vows 'diplomatic offensive'
A senior Korean government official said Thursday that Iran is almost certainly behind the attack on the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, while stressing that an investigation is still underway and vowing a "diplomatic offensive" against those responsible once confirmed. “Although the investigation is not yet conclusive, based on common sense, it is unlikely any actor other than Iran was responsible for the attack,” the official said, noting there were no pirates operating in the area at the time. The official said the government intends to launch diplomatic retaliation against those responsible once the investigation is complete. “If (the Korean government) provides (sound) evidence to Iran, I expect Iran would show us certain reactions. In order to do that, we need a thorough investigation,” the official said. The Korean government is sharing intelligence with the United States to jointly examine the incident. The attack on the HMM Namu was the 33rd such incident in the waterway, the official noted, adding that previous cases and responses a
