President Trump [Reuters=Yonhap News File Photo] 

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday (local time) that a South Korean cargo ship was attacked by Iran after operating alone in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump stated, "Korea procures 43% of its oil from the Strait of Hormuz. Then their ship was attacked. They were not in a convoy of ships, and they decided to go alone."

Trump asserted, "And their ship was just smashed yesterday. But the ships that were protected by the United States were not attacked."

This effectively presented the situation as a foregone conclusion, unilaterally stating that the South Korean cargo ship HMM Namuho, which was stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, was exposed to Iranian attack while operating alone.

While the South Korean government maintains that the cause of the explosion and fire on the Namuho has not yet been determined, President Trump has, since yesterday, characterized the incident as an attack by Iran and urged South Korea to contribute to resolving the blockage in the Strait of Hormuz.

Yesterday, Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, "Iran has fired several times at unrelated countries, including South Korean cargo ships, concerning ship movements related to the 'Operation Emissary,' and it seems like it's time for South Korea to join this operation."

In a phone interview with an ABC News reporter on the same day, he reiterated, "It was a South Korean vessel that was operating alone. There were multiple shots fired at the South Korean vessel, and South Korea needs to take some action."

On the 4th, the United States launched 'Operation Emissary' to help merchant ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz escape. On the same day, the U.S. military announced that it had repelled Iranian attacks on merchant ships using missiles and speedboats, escalating concerns that the ceasefire was on the verge of collapse. Iran resumed attacks targeting the UAE, among other countries.

When asked about the criteria for determining Iran's violation of the ceasefire, Trump said, "You'll know very soon. They know what to do, and more importantly, they know what not to do."

This appears to be a reaffirmation that the ceasefire is still holding despite Iran's attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and the UAE. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also stated at a briefing that day that the ceasefire between both sides remains valid.

Trump then urged Iran, "They have to make a wise choice. Because we don't want to go in and kill people ourselves."

He particularly emphasized that Iran's military capabilities have been severely damaged, stating, "They should wave the white flag of surrender."

This is interpreted as repeated pressure on Iran to agree to a peace settlement, alluding to the possibility of expanding military action, including ground operations.

Trump also repeatedly stated, "Iran wants to make a deal."

During this process, President Trump also referred to the Iran conflict as a "little skirmish," stating that Iran had no chance of winning the war.

Ahead of his visit to China and a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week (14th-15th), Trump said that President Xi showed "a lot of respect" for the U.S. during the Iran conflict, adding, "We have not been challenged by China."

This is interpreted as an assessment that China, despite its high energy dependency on Iran, did not cross the line and take Iran's side during the conflict.