Two Ships Sink in the Strait of Hormuz

On Wednesday, two vessels either sank in or near the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by mysterious “projectiles.” There seems to be a general belief that Iran might be behind the attacks, possibly using missiles or drones. Interestingly, Iran claimed that one of the ships went down after striking a mine that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had reportedly laid in the strait.

The container ship GFS Pride, registered under the Singapore flag, encountered damage and a fire while navigating through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. According to a statement from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) released on Wednesday, the ship ultimately sank.

“MPA is deeply concerned about the ongoing attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law,” stated the authority. Fortunately, all 21 crew members were safely evacuated, and thankfully, none were injured.

In a related incident, the dry bulk carrier Cape Dao, flagged to Antigua and Barbuda, sunk near the strait after suffering damage from an attack on September 23. It had been left burning and adrift following that attack, which tragically resulted in the death of one crew member.

Reports from EuroNews on Thursday showed social media videos that seemed to display cargo, including mobile phones and luxury items, floating in the water near the Strait of Hormuz, with individuals in small boats collecting these items. This was likely debris from the sunken Cape Dao.

Both the Pride and Cape Dao are the second and third ships to fall victim to Iranian attacks as tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated since late February. The first was a Malta-flagged container ship named Safeen Prestige. This vessel was struck by a missile in the Strait on March 4 and ultimately abandoned. A UAE-flagged tugboat, Mussafah 2, which attempted to assist on March 6, was also hit by Iranian missiles. Eventually, the Safeen Prestige sank off the coast of Oman around April 1, succumbing to the fires on board.

On Thursday, the IRGC indicated that a cargo ship had struck a “naval mine” while using an “unauthorized route” in the Strait of Hormuz, sharing photos of a ship sinking from the stern while dropping numerous containers and releasing smoke from its decks.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that two unnamed container ships were struck by “unknown projectiles” on Tuesday night as they passed through the strait. Despite sustaining minor damage, both ships were able to continue their journey.

In another development, Iranian state media reported on Thursday that an oil tanker caught fire while traversing a “prohibited zone” in the Strait of Hormuz with its tracking systems switched off. The report suggested that Iranian forces were monitoring the vessel, but they didn’t claim responsibility for the incident.

Two high-ranking Iranian officials informed Reuters on Wednesday that Iran is employing “new tactics” to target civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This approach is believed to be aimed at keeping oil prices elevated to negatively impact President Trump’s standing ahead of the midterm elections.

Apparently, these new tactics have been in play for about ten days, resulting in a spike in damage to ships attempting to pass through the region. One U.S. military official mentioned that one tactic seemed to involve small spotter boats to hone in on vessels, rather than relying on radar systems that had been largely incapacitated by American airstrikes. Last week, U.S. forces reportedly destroyed at least one of these spotter boats.

The UKMTO and maritime tracking authorities have noted that Iranian activities are seemingly extending beyond the Strait of Hormuz, affecting waters around Oman and the UAE. Iranian officials suggested that they could escalate attacks to effectively shut down the strait before the upcoming U.S. elections in November.

One Iranian official elaborated, saying, “Just when they think they are getting close to the point where prices will fall, we will push them away from it. This is a game of chess. Such vessels would be safe nowhere, even outside the Strait of Hormuz.”