Two Cargo Ships Sink Near Strait of Hormuz After Projectile Strikes

The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride sank on 13 October 2026 after being struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. All 21 crew members were evacuated safely with no injuries, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority. The vessel, a 2,824 TEU feeder built in 2008 and operated by Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping, caught fire after the strike and later went down roughly four nautical miles northwest of Ras al-Sheikh Masud off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.

A second vessel, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged dry bulk carrier Cape Dao, sank the following day. It had been hit by a projectile on 23 September, killing one Indian crew member and forcing the evacuation of the remaining crew. Data from the International Maritime Organization confirmed the sinking. These are the second and third vessels reported sunk in the region since the US-Iran conflict began on 28 February 2026, according to IMO casualty records. The Malta-flagged Safeen Prestige was the first, lost after an attack near Oman in early March.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the GFS Pride struck a naval mine while taking an “unauthorised and dangerous route.” Maritime security firms have cast doubt on the mine claim, noting the absence of independent evidence and pointing instead to projectile or drone strikes. Videos verified by news agencies showed smoke rising from the GFS Pride and later images of floating containers and a small oil slick. Pakistan’s hydrographer issued a navigational warning after containers were reported in the water.

Attacks on commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz have intensified over the past two weeks. Analysis cited by the Financial Times indicated roughly 24 vessels were hit in the two weeks to 11 October. Iran has stated that the increased strikes respond to a US blockade of its ports and tighter sanctions imposed last month. Crude exports through the strait fell to about 8.5 million barrels per day in the week ending 12 October, nearly 40 percent below pre-war levels, according to Kpler data. The drop has contributed to higher global oil prices.

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority expressed deep concern over continued attacks and the safety of seafarers. Another Singapore-flagged container vessel, GFS Giselle, sustained hull damage in a separate strike around the same period but reached a safe anchorage with its crew unharmed. The pattern of strikes has reduced traffic through the waterway, which normally carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas.

The sinkings occur as the conflict enters its eighth month. Iranian officials have described the campaign as a means of applying pressure ahead of US midterm elections. Maritime risk firms continue to track additional incidents, including strikes on vessels linked to operators in the Gulf. No independent confirmation has established the precise munitions used in the latest attacks, and both sides have offered competing accounts of the events.

The loss of the GFS Pride and Cape Dao removes two more ships from service and leaves debris and potential navigation hazards in a confined waterway. Shipping companies have adjusted routes and schedules in response, while insurers have raised premiums for vessels still attempting passage. The immediate effect is a further reduction in the volume of energy moving out of the Gulf and higher costs for buyers who rely on those flows.