The government concluded the projectile that struck the HMM Namu near the Strait of Hormuz was likely an Iranian-made Noor-series anti-ship missile, but stopped short of formally accusing Iran.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo announced the findings at a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno on May 27, saying technical analysis indicates the weapon was likely a Noor-series anti-ship missile developed in Iran.
Park said analysts reached that conclusion after examining the warhead shape, the color of the airframe debris and other indicators.
The government nonetheless took a cautious stance on naming an attacker. “Several pieces of evidence point toward Iran,” Park said, adding that Seoul will summon Iran’s ambassador to present the findings and demand responsible steps, including measures to prevent a recurrence.
On May 10, the government released initial findings that an unidentified aerial object struck the HMM Namu while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities then launched additional probes to determine the object’s type and the motive behind the attack.
On May 15, officials shipped debris recovered from the Namu to South Korea and tasked the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) with a detailed forensic analysis. A defense technical team also traveled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where the vessel had been towed, to inspect hull damage and impact marks.
At a May 14 briefing, a senior foreign ministry official said investigators had not yet ruled out the possibility of an attack by another actor, but that such a scenario appeared unlikely.
The government plans to deliver its official position to Tehran based on the investigation findings and to demand measures to prevent further incidents.
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