Two commercial vessels have sunk near the Strait of Hormuz following separate incidents involving projectiles, highlighting growing security risks for international shipping as attacks in the region intensify.
The vessels, the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride and the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged dry bulk carrier Cape Dao, sank within 24 hours, according to maritime officials and security sources. However, the ships were involved in separate incidents, with the Cape Dao sinking weeks after it was initially struck.
The latest developments come amid a surge in attacks around the strategic waterway over the past 10 days. Iran has said it is stepping up its strikes in response to a United States blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions imposed last month.
The GFS Pride, a container vessel with a capacity of 2,824 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), sustained damage and caught fire before sinking, maritime security sources reported.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority confirmed on Wednesday that the vessel had sunk after sustaining damage and catching fire. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The authority said the ship had been transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that a cargo ship had struck a naval mine while using what it described as an unauthorised route through the strait. However, maritime reports attributed the incident to an unidentified projectile, and the precise cause has not been independently established.
In a separate incident, the Cape Dao sank near the waterway weeks after being struck by a projectile on September 23, according to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for maritime safety and security.
One crew member was killed in the September attack, while the remaining crew members were evacuated at the time, maritime sources said. The vessel’s United Arab Emirates-based manager, Peonies Shipmanagement FZE, was not immediately available for comment.
The two sinkings bring the number of vessels reported to have sunk since the United States-Iran war began on February 28 to three, according to an analysis of IMO casualty data.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority expressed concern over the continuing attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, describing them as unjustified and contrary to international law. The authority also stressed that activities affecting international shipping must comply with international law and protect the safety of vessels and their crews.
Meanwhile, GFS Ship Management FZE, the UAE-based manager of the GFS Pride, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Maritime risk management company MARISKS said the latest incidents underscored the continuing danger facing commercial vessels transiting the waterway. The company warned that the threat was no longer limited to oil tankers, as container ships and bulk carriers were also sustaining serious damage.
The escalation has heightened concerns about security along the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route through which approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passed before the war.
Since United States and Israeli strikes against Iran began on February 28, Tehran has sought to tighten its control over the waterway by restricting maritime traffic and using its influence over the route to increase pressure on Washington.
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran was adopting new tactics against vessels navigating the strait, with the aim of keeping oil prices elevated and influencing the United States midterm elections.
Although oil tankers have been among the main targets of attacks during the conflict, other commercial vessels have also been struck, immobilised or sunk, raising concerns about the safety of broader maritime trade.
In March, the Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige was struck by a projectile and subsequently sank north of the Strait of Hormuz. In April, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked and seized the container ship MSC Francesca.
Goodness Anunobi
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