Two cargo ships have sunk near the Strait of Hormuz within the past 24 hours after being struck by unidentified projectiles in separate incidents, highlighting the growing risks to commercial shipping as Iran intensifies attacks in an effort to regain control of the strategically important waterway.
The Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride was struck on Tuesday while passing through the strait. The vessel caught fire and later sank, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority. All crew members were safely evacuated.
Videos verified by CNN showed black smoke rising from the vessel as it took on water. Subsequent footage and satellite images showed cargo scattered across the water and a small oil slick near the site of the sinking.
Iranian state media outlet Press TV reported that the ship had “hit a sea mine on an unauthorized route.”
However, experts questioned that explanation, saying a drone attack was more likely.
Another vessel, the Cape Dao, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, also sank, according to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Wednesday. The vessel had first been struck by a projectile on 23 September. One Indian crew member was killed in the incident.
Although numerous vessels have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz this year, the two sinkings involving the GFS Pride and the Cape Dao are only the second and third cases of ships sinking in the Middle East since the Iran war began in February, according to IMO data.
The attacks on shipping have increased significantly since the end of September, once again reducing the volume of oil passing out of the Middle East and pushing up oil prices worldwide.
The disruption has become a persistent challenge for US President Donald Trump as the midterm elections approach. Rising petrol prices, tariffs and other factors contributing to the increasing cost of living remain major concerns for many American voters.
Data from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors maritime security incidents, underscores the heightened risks facing vessels in the region. Nine attacks in or near the Strait of Hormuz have been reported since Monday, including a drone strike on a tanker.
The attacks have also sharply reduced the volume of oil passing through the strategic waterway. On Monday, only 4.147 million barrels of oil successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, less than a quarter of the level recorded before the war, according to Kpler, a maritime data-tracking service.
Kpler’s data also shows that the seven-day average flow of oil through the strait has fallen sharply since early October, reflecting the growing disruption to one of the world’s most important routes for global energy supplies.
