British maritime risk management group Vanguard said authorities would investigate whether the damage might have been caused by an attack, a drifting sea mine or another external object.
In response to the incident, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on Tuesday it had asked Korean vessels in the area to move to safer locations and said authorities were in close communications with shipping companies and stranded vessels.
The South Korean government has said 26 South Korean-flagged vessels were stranded around the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran had fired shots at the ship and other targets as the US launched an operation seeking to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
He suggested it could be time for South Korea to join his new effort to help guide stranded ships through the waterway typically used to carry about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry and the presidential office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s post.
South Korea has previously said it would carefully consider Trump’s call for countries to deploy navy ships to form a coalition to ensure safe passage through the waterway, while also stressing that such a move would require legislative approval.
