Saeid Kouzechi, Iran’s ambassador to South Korea, said on the 5th that the explosion and fire involving a cargo ship belonging to Korea’s HMM in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th was “the result of Trump’s adventurist policy.” This is the first time a responsible Iranian official has commented on the explosion involving a Korean cargo ship.

In an exclusive interview with the Kyunghyang Shinmun at the Iranian Embassy in Seoul, Ambassador Kouzechi said, “Trump is under the illusion that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz can be easily resolved as he wishes. Companies and shipping lines should not follow Trump’s words or promises,” expressing this view.

He said, “I, too, have only seen the news and do not know the details,” but added, “If there had been prior agreement with the Iranian military, it could have passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz like other vessels.” At present, 26 Korean-flagged ships and about 170 crew members have been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz for more than 40 days.

He argued that the incident occurred because U.S. President Donald Trump invaded Iran without justification and claims the Strait of Hormuz is under U.S. control. This contrasts with President Trump’s remarks on the 5th (local time) that “Their ship was attacked. They were not in the convoy of ships and chose to act alone,” implying the Korean cargo ship acted alone and was attacked.

He said, “ Since the time Iran was invaded, we have made it clear that the Strait of Hormuz is inseparable from this region. Any vessel that wishes to pass through the Strait of Hormuz must have prior agreement with Iran without exception. Any damage suffered by a vessel that does not observe this is entirely that vessel’s responsibility”

Ambassador Kouzechi explained, “Iran has established a new safe passage between two islands, and even since Iran’s attacks began, both Iranian and foreign ships have been transiting through this route.” However, for the passage of Korean ships, he set a precondition: “An agreement must first be reached between senior Korean officials and senior Iranian officials.”

He drew a line regarding the South Korean government’s military options. In response to Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyu-baek’s statement that he is formulating a 1∼4-stage plan encompassing expressions of support, information sharing, personnel dispatch, and the deployment of military assets in preparation for a prolonged blockade of Hormuz, Kouzechi said, “Any act of sending any military weapons or assets to this region can only be taken by Iran as an unfriendly, anti-Iranian measure.”

On the question of the legitimacy of collecting transit fees for Hormuz, he retorted, “We are at war now. It is unnecessary to even raise such questions,” and asked in return, “Is it legitimate that Iran, under illegal aggression, has suffered 3,500 casualties, its infrastructure attacked, and civilians killed? Iran, while being invaded, is exerting the maximum pressure it can on the other side.”

As for the prospects of maintaining a ceasefire amid successive military clashes, he said, “To be honest, I am not optimistic,” and added, “Trump’s malicious reverse blockade measures against Iran are themselves illegal, and I suspect they may be ignoring or effectively lifting the ceasefire.” Ambassador Kouzechi stressed, “This tense and adverse situation stems entirely from problems the United States has created in the Middle East,” adding, “All responsibility lies with the United States.”