Iran on Thursday rejected claims that it carried out an attack on a South Korean cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, even as United States President Donald Trump suggested a possible breakthrough in talks aimed at ending the conflict but warned that military action could resume if negotiations collapse.
Tehran’s embassy in Seoul stated it “firmly rejects and categorically denies” that its armed forces were responsible for an explosion aboard the Panama-flagged HMM Namu.
The vessel reportedly caught fire on Monday while passing through the strategic waterway with 24 crew members on board.
Trump, however, alleged that Iran had “taken some shots” at the ship and called on South Korea to support US-led efforts to secure maritime traffic through the strait.
The conflict, which Washington and Israel launched in late February, triggered Iranian retaliatory strikes across the Middle East and led to heightened disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.
Despite Trump’s optimism over diplomatic progress, Tehran has yet to formally respond to a new US proposal. Iran’s chief negotiator has accused Washington of attempting to force what he described as the Islamic republic’s “surrender.”
Momentum toward renewed negotiations appeared to build after Trump paused a short-lived military operation aimed at reopening the strait, citing prospects of a diplomatic deal.
– ‘Very possible’ –
“We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.
However, he also warned that if Iran failed to abide by any agreement reached, “bombing would resume at a much higher level and intensity.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the US proposal was still “under review” and that Tehran would share its response with mediator Pakistan “after finalising its views.”
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has led negotiations, accused Washington of trying “through a naval blockade, economic pressure and media manipulation, to destroy the country’s cohesion in order to force us to surrender.”
US outlet Axios, citing two officials, reported that both sides were nearing agreement on a one-page memorandum of understanding that would outline steps to end hostilities and establish a framework for future nuclear negotiations.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has played a mediating role in early discussions in Islamabad, expressed optimism, saying he was “very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond.”
– Macron presses Tehran –
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, telling him that attacks on UAE civilian infrastructure and ships near the strait were “unjustified,” while urging all sides to lift what he described as dual restrictions on navigation “without delay and without conditions.”
Pezeshkian responded that reopening the waterway fully required the lifting of the US naval blockade, adding that “excessive demands, threatening statements, and failure to adhere to necessary frameworks by the United States have further complicated the path of diplomacy,” according to Iran’s presidency.
The discussion came as France’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle passed through the Suez Canal toward the southern Red Sea, positioning for a potential multinational deployment to help restore maritime movement in the region.
A Macron aide said the deployment was intended to signal that “not only are we ready to secure the Strait of Hormuz but that we are also capable of doing so.”
France and Britain are leading the initiative, which has drawn participation from more than 40 countries in military planning.
– Stocks surge –
Financial markets reacted positively to signs of reduced tensions, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing at record highs following the pause in US escort operations in the strait.
Asian markets also rallied, with Tokyo’s Nikkei index leading gains on Thursday. Oil prices extended recent losses amid hopes that a diplomatic resolution could be reached.
In Tehran, however, public sentiment remained mixed. One resident told Paris-based AFP reporters that the possibility of an agreement with the current government was “terrifying.”
“We’ve gone through so much hardship and suffering, and no achievements for the people?” said translator Azadeh, 43.
“I honestly just hope they finish this regime.”
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday in its first such attack in nearly a month, killing a senior Hezbollah commander from the group’s elite Radwan force, according to a source close to the Iran-backed movement.
Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 11 others were killed in strikes across the country’s south and east.
The Israeli military later said an “explosive drone impact” wounded four of its soldiers, one severely, in southern Lebanon the previous day.
