Two Cargo Ships Sink Near the Strait of Hormuz as Iranian Attacks Surge
The GFS Pride and the Cape Dao went down in the past 24 hours after being hit by projectiles — the first such sinkings in months as Iran steps up strikes in the U.S.-Iran war.
Two cargo ships have sunk near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after being hit by projectiles, maritime officials said Wednesday.
The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride was struck Tuesday about a nautical mile east of Ras Makhbuq, Oman, according to maritime-security firms. The crew of 21 was safely evacuated. The vessel caught fire and sank the next day. Singapore’s port authority confirmed the loss.
The other ship, the bulk carrier Cape Dao, went down weeks after being hit on Sept. 23 some 15 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. One Indian crew member died in that attack; the rest were evacuated. Data from the UN’s International Maritime Organization recorded the sinking Wednesday.
The two vessels are the second and third to sink since the U.S.-Iran war began on Feb. 28, according to an analysis of IMO casualty data cited by Reuters. The last sinking was the Malta-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige in early March. Four seafarers died in that attack.
Attacks around the waterway have surged over the past 10 days, Reuters reported. Iran says it is stepping up strikes in response to the U.S. blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions introduced last month. The U.S. military has been escorting Gulf oil through the strait while bottling up Iranian oil exports.
