Two Cargo Ships Sink Near Strait of Hormuz After Projectile Strikes as Attacks Surge

Two cargo ships sank near the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours after being hit by projectiles, maritime officials said Wednesday, in the heaviest losses to commercial shipping since the U.S.-Iran war began in February.

The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride was struck by an unknown projectile on Tuesday while transiting the strait, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. The vessel caught fire, sank, and all 21 crew members were safely evacuated, the authority said. No Singaporean nationals were aboard.

In a separate incident, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged dry bulk carrier Cape Dao sank close to the strait, weeks after it was struck by a projectile on September 23, according to data from the United Nations shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization. One crew member was killed in that September attack; the rest were evacuated afterward, maritime sources told Reuters.

A third vessel, the Singapore-registered GFS Giselle, was also struck by an unknown projectile on Wednesday. It sustained hull damage but reached a safe anchorage under its own propulsion, the Singapore authority said. All 22 crew members were safe.

Escalation in the strait

The sinkings of the GFS Pride and the Cape Dao are the second and third vessels lost since the war started on February 28, according to an IMO analysis of casualty data. The first was the Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige, which was hit by a projectile in March and sank north of the strait.

Attacks around the waterway have surged over the past 10 days, Reuters reported, continuing Iran’s broader campaign of stepped-up shipping attacks. Iran has said it is stepping up strikes in response to the U.S. blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions introduced last month. Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters the country is deploying new tactics against vessels in the strait to keep oil prices elevated and influence the U.S. midterm elections. The waterway carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war, according to Reuters.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said it was “deeply concerned” about the continued attacks on commercial shipping, calling them “unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law.” The authority said it was in contact with the vessels’ management company and was monitoring the situation.

Maritime risk management company MARISKS said the incidents point to a continuing threat to commercial shipping in the strait that now extends beyond tankers to container vessels and bulk carriers.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and gCaptain.