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President Donald Trump publicly pressed South Korea to join a U.S.-led military operation in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran may have attacked a South Korean cargo vessel.
On May 4, Trump posted on Truth Social that “Iran fired on unrelated vessels, including a South Korean cargo ship, during ship movements related to the ‘Liberation Project.’” He added, “It’s time for South Korea to join this operation,” directly urging Seoul to commit militarily.
Trump also said U.S. forces sank seven Iranian fast boats and that, aside from the South Korean vessel, no further damage has been reported during recent transits through the strait.
Seoul has detected indications of an explosion aboard an HMM commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz and opened an investigation. Trump’s comments pointed to Iran as the likely source of the incident.
Analysts said the remarks underscore Washington’s push for the South Korean military to take part in escort and protection missions aimed at keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for international shipping.
On March 14, Trump urged key allies — including South Korea, China, Japan, the U.K. and France — to dispatch warships and join the protection effort. He warned that any attempt by Iran to blockade the strait could disrupt global energy supplies and argued that affected parties should respond jointly.
But Seoul, Tokyo and other U.S. partners have remained cautious about direct military involvement. Trump has voiced frustration with that stance and recently intensified pressure on allies, even raising the prospect of higher tariffs and reduced U.S. troop commitments in Europe.
The U.S. military is conducting the “Liberation Project” to secure commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials and media reports say Iran employed missiles and drones to try to disrupt vessel movements, and U.S. forces reportedly sank several small Iranian boats in the course of responding.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump warned that “if U.S. ships are attacked, we will respond with overwhelming military force. I’ll wipe them off the face of the earth,” delivering a stark threat to Tehran.
At the same time, he suggested Iran has become “much more flexible than before,” leaving a sliver of diplomatic space amid heightened tensions.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Cain are scheduled to hold a morning news conference on the 5th to address the situation.
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