A Singapore-flagged containership has sunk after being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, exposing the persistent threat to commercial shipping despite US claims that American forces and regional partners control the strategic waterway.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) confirmed on Wednesday that the GFS PRIDE caught fire and sustained damage in an attack on 13 October before sinking.
All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported. Iran has claimed, without providing evidence, that the vessel struck a naval mine.
A second Singapore-registered containership, the GFS GISELLE, was also hit on Wednesday, sustaining hull damage before reaching a safe anchorage under its own power. All 22 crew members were reported safe.
The sinking appears to mark the second confirmed loss of a large, ocean-going vessel during the conflict, following the destruction of the Safeen Prestige.
The attacks form part of a widening assault on merchant shipping. At least six vessels were struck on 11 October, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued four further verified warnings covering incidents reported on 13 October.
The reports describe attacks involving three containerships and a tanker, although it remains unclear whether any relate to the two Singapore-registered vessels. The total number of ships hit has yet to be established.
Singapore condemned the strikes as “unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law”, warning that attacks on shipping must not endanger vessels or seafarers and must comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The sinking comes a day after US Central Command (CENTCOM) declared that American forces and regional partners had control of the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy that the waterway remained under Iranian control.
CENTCOM also said US forces had helped Gulf partners move more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait the previous day.
Yet repeated strikes on merchant vessels highlight the gap between asserting military control over a waterway and guaranteeing safe passage through it.
The threat has intensified since late September, with attacks extending beyond Hormuz’s main shipping corridor into the Persian Gulf, including an incident off Qatar.
The International Maritime Organization has documented more than 100 confirmed maritime security incidents since the conflict began, with at least 24 seafarer fatalities. The figures remain subject to revision as delayed reports are verified.
The Joint Maritime Information Center continues to rate the threat in the Strait of Hormuz as severe.
Meanwhile, commercial traffic remains well below pre-conflict levels, when around 130 to 140 vessels typically transited the strait each day.
The loss of the GFS PRIDE underscores the mounting risks facing shipowners and crews navigating one of the world’s most vital shipping routes.
Despite Washington’s assurances and efforts to facilitate oil shipments, merchant vessels remain exposed to attack in a waterway critical to global trade.