Unraveling the Mystery: What Hit the HMM Cargo Ship in the Strait of Hormuz?

Jo Eun-sol | 2026.05.13

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src=https://www.daejonilbo.com/news/photo/202605/2274715_708950_1634.jpg — Seoul's government said that on the 4th an unidentified aircraft struck the stern of HMM cargo ship Namoo twice, at one-minute intervals, sparking an explosion and fire in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit route in the Middle East. On the 10th, the Foreign Ministry released findings from a joint-government probe and published photos taken by the on-site inspection team. Courtesy of the Foreign Ministry

On the 12th, the Blue House said it still could not determine the exact model of the aircraft that struck the Namoo in the Strait of Hormuz.

A Blue House official made the remark while discussing analysis of debris recovered from the Namoo, including components that appear to be an aircraft engine.

The official said investigators will continue probing to identify the attacker, determine the precise aircraft model and establish its physical dimensions.

Earlier, some media outlets reported that recovered debris was tentatively identified as the engine of an Iran-made Shahed-136 drone. The Foreign Ministry, which is leading the probe into the Namoo strike, denied that claim and said it would clarify the facts through further analysis.