Korea Confirms Explosion and Fire on a South Korean Vessel Inside the Strait of Hormuz

¬ Trump: Ukraine Maintains Continuous Combat Capability Through Receiving U.S. Weapons Supplied via NATO

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According to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an explosion and fire occurred around 20:40 local time on the 4th at a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company, docked inside the Strait of Hormuz.

As reported by CCTV News App, the incident vessel carried six South Korean crew members and 18 foreign crew members, with no casualties reported. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the government is currently verifying the cause of the explosion and fire.

On February 28, the United States and Israel began launching attacks on targets inside Iran, resulting in over 3,000 deaths. On April 8, the U.S. announced a halt to military operations to allow for negotiations with Tehran. President Trump stated that the maritime blockade would continue until an agreement is reached.

On April 13, the U.S. Navy began imposing a blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 20% of the world’s oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas pass through this strait. The U.S. government stated that vessels not related to Iran may freely transit the Strait of Hormuz if they do not pay tolls to the Iranian government.

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U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Ukraine is maintaining its sustained combat capability by receiving American weapons purchased through NATO, funded by European sources.

Speaking during an interview with Salem News about U.S. arms sales, Trump said, "We sell weapons to NATO, and then they distribute them. Let me put it this way: They (the Ukrainians) are able to fight because – regardless of the quality of equipment – they have the opportunity to fight."

Russia believes that supplying weapons to Ukraine hinders conflict resolution and directly draws NATO member states into the conflict, likening it to "playing with fire." Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov previously stated that any supplies—including weapons—provided to Ukraine would become legitimate targets for Russian strikes. He emphasized that the U.S. and NATO are directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict, not only supplying weapons but also training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries. The Kremlin has earlier stated that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine do not aid negotiations and instead generate negative consequences.

Source: sputniknews

Original: toutiao.com/article/1864307422986252/

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