Two Ships Sink Near Strait of Hormuz After Projectile Attacks

Two vessels, the container ship GFS Pride and the bulk carrier Cape Dao, sank in separate incidents near the Strait of Hormuz after being struck by unidentified projectiles. Maritime authorities confirmed both sinkings within a span of 24 hours, amid a wave of attacks on commercial shipping in the area.

The GFS Pride, flagged in Singapore with a capacity of 2,824 TEU and operated by Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping, was hit on October 13 while transiting the strait. The vessel suffered damage and an onboard fire, ultimately sinking on October 14. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that all 21 crew members were evacuated unharmed.

The Cape Dao, a 170,000 deadweight-ton bulk carrier flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, had been attacked on September 23 off the Musandam Peninsula in Oman. That attack caused a fire in the engine room, killed one Indian crew member, and forced the evacuation of the remaining 27 crew members. Weeks later, on October 14, the vessel sank, according to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Attacks around the waterway have intensified over the past ten days, with Iran maintaining that it is stepping up its offensives in response to the U.S. blockade of its ports and to tougher sanctions imposed last month. According to the IMO, the GFS Pride and the Cape Dao are the second and third vessels sunk since the war between the United States and Iran began on February 28, following the March sinking of the Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige and the April seizure of the MSC Francesca.

During the same days, the GFS Giselle, another Singapore-flagged container ship with a capacity of 4,400 TEU, sustained hull damage and made it under its own power to a safe anchorage, with all 22 crew members unharmed. Also attacked were the Al Saadiyat, operated by Safeen Feeders, and a tanker identified as the Alfonso. While Singapore refers to unidentified projectiles, Iran's Revolutionary Guard attributed the sinking of the GFS Pride to a naval mine, claiming the vessel was sailing on an unauthorized route.

According to the IMO, the incidents brought the number of confirmed attacks in the region since the conflict began to 113, with 24 seafarers killed. Tanker transits through the strait have fallen 90% since the start of the military operation, and 138 container ships, with a combined capacity of nearly 470,000 TEU, remained stranded in the Persian Gulf. In response, President Donald Trump announced that his administration will offer insurance to vessels transiting the strait and that the U.S. Navy is considering escorting merchant ships.