Did Iran Admit It Targeted a Korean Ship? Government Says a Detailed Investigation Comes First

\r\n[Financial News] The government maintained its position that a detailed investigation must come first in response to reports by Iranian state media that a Korean ship had been targeted.
A government official said on the 7th that he would not jump to conclusions about the report by Iran's state broadcaster that a Korean ship had been targeted. He also said that "a detailed investigation by the government team dispatched to the site comes first."
Iran's state-run Press TV reported that day, "Targeting a Korean ship that violated maritime regulations was a signal that Iran would enforce its sovereign rights by force."
The government investigation team has arrived at the site and is preparing to begin a full probe into the cause of the accident. The team consists of three investigators from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and four forensic experts from the National Fire Agency.
The HMM Namu, where the accident occurred, will be towed to Dubai Drydocks, the largest ship repair yard in the Middle East at the Port of Dubai. Repairs will begin after the cause of the accident has been investigated.
The fire on the HMM vessel was also raised as possibly having been caused by an external impact. Jeon Jeong-geun, head of the HMM Seafarers' Union, said at an event in Busan on the same day, "It would be difficult for it to explode that much internally. There must have been some external impact."
Jeon added, "One could speculate that some kind of shock wave was transmitted and caused problems in the fuel system, leading to the fire." He continued, "At the time, the government sent a warning message saying that a round, bumpy object believed to be a mine was floating around, so be careful." He said, "I also wonder whether a floating mine may have been the cause." Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump also said that "a Korean ship was sailing alone and got hit."
However, the South Korean government remains cautious. Wi Sung-lac, director of national security at the Blue House, said on the 6th, "It does not seem certain that it was hit," adding, "There was no flooding or sign that the ship had tilted."
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter