Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, told Kim Seok-ki, chairman of South Korea's National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, on Sunday that "the Iranian military was not involved" in the fire and explosion incident involving the Namoo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Following the Iranian Embassy in Seoul, Iran's parliament has also stepped in, making full efforts to dispel the "involvement claims" reported by Iran's own state media.
Kim relayed the remarks to reporters after an approximately hour-long phone conversation with Azizi earlier in the day. The meeting was arranged at Azizi's request through the mediation of the Iranian Embassy in Seoul.
"Chairman Azizi said the state media's report does not reflect the official position of the Iranian government," Kim said. "He told me that Iran and its people hold friendly sentiments toward Korea." Regarding the Korean vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, Azizi said, "We are well aware of the Korean side's circumstances," adding that "the matter will be resolved amicably."
"Chairman Azizi was very friendly toward Korea. He said he wants to reinvigorate exchanges between the two parliaments and would like to visit Seoul himself," Kim said. "I served as National Police Agency commissioner and he served in the Revolutionary Guards, so as two people who have worn uniforms, we had a frank and productive conversation."
Earlier, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that "Iran targeted a Korean vessel that violated maritime regulations." The Iranian Embassy in Seoul also drew a line on the report Sunday, calling it "merely a commentary from an outside analyst." The embassy stressed that "amid sensitive regional circumstances, media speculation and unverified claims should be handled with caution until credible official investigation results are released," adding that "not every interpretation and analysis reported in media outlets should be regarded as an official position."
A Foreign Ministry official told reporters, "We will not assess the Iranian state media's report," adding, "We will review the investigation results and judge based on various circumstances."
The HMM Namoo, which suffered an explosion and fire while in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th of this month, is currently being towed and will be moved to a dry dock at the Port of Dubai for a cause investigation. The government is preparing the investigation by dispatching an inspection team comprising three investigators from the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal and four forensic experts from the National Fire Agency.
