South Korea concluded that Iranian-made Noor-series anti-ship missiles were probably used to strike the container ship HMM Namu near the Strait of Hormuz, the government announced on May 27, 2026. Seoul summoned Iranian Ambassador Saeed Koozechi to protest, demand an apology and seek measures to prevent another attack. Iran denied involvement.
The Panama-flagged ship, operated by South Korean carrier HMM, was anchored in United Arab Emirates waters when two projectiles hit within about a minute on May 4. One warhead failed to detonate, while the second exploded, causing a fire and leaving one of 24 crew members with minor injuries. The vessel later underwent repairs in the UAE.
Investigators from South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development inspected the ship from May 13 to 15 and took debris home for analysis. Officials cited four indicators. The recovered engine matched an Iranian Toloue-4 turbojet and carried markings associated with Iranian military manufacturer TEM. The warhead’s form resembled the Noor or Qadr series, the fuselage used a sky-blue colour associated with Noor weapons, and electronic components appeared to be 20 to 30 years old.
The Namu was positioned with its stern toward Iran, roughly 90 to 100 kilometres from the Iranian coast. Defence officials estimated a flight time of six to seven minutes and assessed that both missiles were launched together. They could not determine whether the launch point was on land or at sea.
Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo said multiple pieces of evidence pointed toward Iran but declined to attribute the action to the Iranian government or another specific actor. The missiles are used by Iran’s navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and aligned groups. Officials also avoided a finding that the civilian vessel had been deliberately targeted, saying intent could not be established without further evidence or an admission.
Koozechi expressed regret for the ship’s damage while categorically denying Iranian responsibility. He raised the possibility of a false-flag operation by unnamed hostile states. Seoul offered no theory for why the Korean-operated vessel would have been attacked, particularly after South Korea had increased diplomatic contact with Tehran during the conflict.
The investigation unfolded amid US-Iran nuclear discussions and continuing disruption to maritime traffic. Twenty-five Korean-operated vessels remained in the area, and Seoul reiterated support for freedom of navigation without committing to a particular multinational escort operation. Its public findings established the likely weapon type, but left the identity and motive of whoever fired it unresolved. Seoul’s measured wording preserved room for further technical and diplomatic inquiry before assigning state responsibility. independently.
