Iranian Embassy denies attacking Korean ship, rebutting Trump's claim

“Iran formally denied any involvement in the explosion on a Korean cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the ship was attacked by Iran because it attempted to navigate the strait without U.S. protection. The denial came as the shipping company, its union and the Korean government remained cautious about the cause of the incident. "The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz," the Iranian Embassy in Seoul said in a statement Wednesday. The statement followed Trump's remarks Tuesday at a White House event: “Their ship was shot at. They were not in the cavalcade of ships they had. They decided to go it alone and their ship got hell knocked out of it yesterday, but they (Iran) didn't shoot the ships that were guarded by us.” Trump used the incident to renew calls for Korea to join U.S.-led maritime initiatives including the Maritime Freedom Con

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