Two Ships Sunk Near the Strait of Hormuz as Attacks on Merchant Shipping Rise

The GFS Pride, a container ship flying the Singapore flag, was hit by a projectile while passing through the strait on Tuesday, caught fire and has since sunk. Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority confirmed on Wednesday that all 21 crew members were safely evacuated with no injuries reported, and called the attacks on commercial shipping unprovoked and a breach of international law.

The second sinking is the Cape Dao, a dry bulk carrier flagged in Antigua and Barbuda, which has also gone down close to the strait. The Cape Dao was first struck by a projectile on September 23, according to data from the International Maritime Organization, and one crew member was killed in that original attack. Maritime officials say the two ships are the second and third vessels to have sunk since the conflict began in late February.

A further container ship was struck by an unknown projectile in the strait on Wednesday, in a separate incident reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre.

Reuters reports that Iran says it is stepping up strikes in response to the blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions introduced last month, and that two senior Iranian officials said Tehran adopted new tactics about ten days ago to target ships it says are violating its restrictions in the strait. Those are Iranian statements about their own operations; the confirmed facts are that merchant ships are being hit, two have now sunk, and crews are being pulled off burning vessels.