South Korea’s foreign ministry said the Panama-flagged bulk carrier HMM Namu sustained significant damage after being hit twice on Monday while transiting the strategic waterway, which has faced severe disruption since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel, the United States and Iran in late February.

Foreign ministry spokesman Park Il told reporters that “two unidentified aircraft struck the outer plate of the port-side ballast tank at the stern” of the vessel at roughly one-minute intervals, igniting flames and heavy smoke.

Park said investigators had not yet determined the type, origin or size of the aircraft involved, despite CCTV footage capturing the incident. South Korean authorities are conducting further analysis of engine debris and fragments recovered from the vessel.

According to the ministry, the first strike is believed to have ignited a fire in the engine room, while the second impact accelerated the spread of the blaze. Damage to the hull extended approximately five meters across and seven meters inward on the vessel’s port-side stern.

The ship, carrying 24 crew members, later arrived at port in Dubai with visible fire damage.U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that Iran had “taken some shots” at the vessel and urged South Korea to participate in U.S.-led operations intended to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has denied involvement.

Tehran’s embassy in Seoul issued a statement rejecting what it called allegations linking Iranian forces to the attack and said it “firmly rejects and categorically denies” responsibility.South Korea summoned Iran’s ambassador to seek clarification regarding Tehran’s position and discuss the findings of the preliminary investigation, Park said.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil consumption typically passes, has become a focal point of military escalation since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran earlier this year.

Tehran has since responded with attacks across the region and measures that have sharply reduced maritime traffic through the corridor, fueling volatility in global energy markets.

Commercial shipping companies and insurers have increasingly rerouted vessels or suspended operations in the Gulf amid rising security risks and mounting concerns over attacks on tankers and cargo ships.

Speaking to reporters, Trump acknowledged the difficulty of the task and provided no operational details but indicated that other countries were prepared to assist. “It won’t be easy, we will have that open fairly soon,” he said, adding that multiple nations reliant on the waterway were offering support.

The Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has seen traffic severely curtailed since Tehran effectively blocked passage following the outbreak of hostilities. The disruption has triggered sharp volatility in global energy markets and raised concerns over supply security.

The conflict escalated after U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Israel and U.S. military installations in Gulf states. The broader regional confrontation has resulted in significant casualties, mass displacement and sustained pressure on oil prices.Trump has also pressed allies to contribute more actively to securing the waterway.

Following talks with the U.S. president, Mark Rutte urged European governments to provide concrete commitments within days, according to Reuters reporting.A fragile ceasefire announced earlier this week between Washington and Tehran has yet to restore normal shipping flows through the strait.

Separately, the United Kingdom is set to convene another meeting next week involving countries seeking to reestablish safe maritime transit through the strait. The discussions are expected to include senior officials and focus on coordinated diplomatic, economic and potential security measures to ensure passage for commercial vessels.

The meeting follows earlier consultations involving dozens of countries, including foreign ministers and military planners, as governments weigh options ranging from sanctions on Iran to maritime security operations once conditions permit.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said a credible plan is needed to reopen the route and stabilize global trade flows.

Trump issued the warning in a social media post on Saturday, saying Washington would “obliterate” Iranian power facilities if the strategic waterway remained closed. The strait, a critical conduit for global oil flows, has been effectively shut amid the ongoing hostilities.

Iran’s military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, said any attack on its fuel and energy infrastructure would trigger strikes on U.S. and Israeli assets, including critical civilian-linked systems.

The statement, carried by state media, underscored a widening scope of potential targets beyond conventional military sites.

Iranian officials also indicated that access through the Strait of Hormuz would be restricted, with passage permitted selectively, reflecting Tehran’s control over the route during the conflict.

The escalation coincided with renewed Iranian missile barrages on Israel, including strikes near the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, close to the Negev Desert nuclear research area.

Israeli authorities said dozens were injured and residential buildings sustained heavy damage.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the impact in Arad caused extensive destruction but no fatalities, while urging adherence to air raid warnings. Israel’s military acknowledged that some missiles were not intercepted, marking a breach in air defence coverage in the area.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strikes indicated a shift to a new operational phase in the conflict.

The conflict has extended beyond Iran and Israel, with Hezbollah claiming responsibility for a deadly strike in northern Israel, while Gulf states reported drone and missile activity targeting energy infrastructure.

Iran also targeted the joint UK-U.S. military facility at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, though officials said the strike was unsuccessful. Military assessments cited in reports suggested the possibility of longer-range capabilities or alternative launch methods, though no confirmation was provided by Tehran.

The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has halted most tanker traffic, contributing to supply constraints and rising global energy prices. Countries including the United Arab Emirates, Britain, Germany, France and Japan have expressed readiness to support efforts to restore safe navigation through the waterway.

U.S. Central Command said earlier that strikes on Iranian coastal facilities had degraded Tehran’s ability to target vessels in the strait. Additional U.S. naval assets and personnel are being deployed to the region as part of ongoing operations.

Casualties have mounted across multiple theatres, with Iran reporting more than 1,500 deaths, while Israel, the United States and Gulf states have also recorded military and civilian losses.

Speaking at his second press conference since the start of the war, Netanyahu said pipelines running west across the Arabian Peninsula to Israel could bypass vulnerabilities in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.

“Just have oil pipelines, gas pipelines, going west through the Arabian Peninsula, right up to Israel,” Netanyahu said, describing the concept as a long-term structural change that could emerge from the conflict.

Netanyahu said U.S. President Donald Trump had asked Israel to refrain from further attacks on Iranian gas infrastructure following a strike on Iran’s South Pars field, which marked a significant escalation in the war.

“President Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel had carried out the operation independently.

The comments reflect growing U.S. concern over rising energy prices and the broader economic impact of strikes on critical infrastructure, particularly as Washington pushes allies to help secure maritime routes in the Gulf.

Netanyahu said that after nearly three weeks of fighting, Iran no longer had the ability to enrich uranium or produce missiles, though he did not provide supporting evidence.

The claim was contested by Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who said in a media interview that significant elements of Iran’s nuclear programme remained intact.

The war began after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 following the collapse of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme, and has since expanded to include attacks on energy facilities across the Gulf.

Netanyahu also signaled that Israel’s campaign could broaden beyond air operations, hinting at a possible ground component inside Iran.

He did not elaborate on timing or scope, but said Israel would continue military action to achieve its objectives, as hostilities between the two countries continue to drive volatility in global energy markets and regional security dynamics.