Two commercial vessels were confirmed sunk near the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours, maritime officials said on October 14, following separate attacks on shipping in the region. The vessels were the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride and the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao. Reuters reported that GFS Pride was struck while passing through the strait on October 13 and later sank. Cape Dao had been damaged in an earlier attack on September 23, with its sinking confirmed on October 14.
Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said GFS Pride was hit by an unidentified projectile, sustained damage and caught fire before sinking. All 21 crew members were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported. The vessel had a capacity of 2,824 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and was managed by UAE-based GFS Ship Management FZE. The MPA said it remained in contact with the ship's management company and was monitoring the situation. The source of the projectile has not been identified.
The second vessel, Cape Dao, was struck on September 23 about 15 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, killing one crew member. The remaining crew evacuated after the attack. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) confirmed the vessel's sinking in records updated on October 14. According to IMO casualty data, GFS Pride and Cape Dao were the second and third commercial ships confirmed sunk since fighting between the United States and Iran began on February 28.
Another Singapore-registered container ship, GFS Giselle, was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on October 14. The ship sustained hull damage but reached a safe anchorage under its own power. All 22 crew members were safe, the MPA said.
Iran has said it is stepping up action against vessels that do not comply with its restrictions on passage, following the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. Maritime risk management company MARISKS said recent attacks had caused serious damage beyond the tanker fleet, with container ships and bulk carriers also being hit.
