A viral video showing iPhone boxes floating in the Strait of Hormuz has emerged after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship sank following an incident involving a suspected mine or projectile. The vessel, identified as GFS Pride, reportedly carried about 2,500 containers when it sank on Wednesday amid escalating attacks on commercial…...
A viral video showing iPhone boxes floating in the Strait of Hormuz has emerged after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship sank following an incident involving a suspected mine or projectile.
The vessel, identified as GFS Pride, reportedly carried about 2,500 containers when it sank on Wednesday amid escalating attacks on commercial shipping in the strategic waterway.
The footage, seen online, shows people retrieving packages of iPhone boxes scattered across the sea.
According to India Today TV, initial reports indicated that the goods were being transported from Dubai, although the cargo details have not been independently confirmed.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the ship sank after striking a naval mine while travelling along what it described as an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Maritime officials, however, reported that the vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile and caught fire, leaving the precise circumstances of the sinking disputed.
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Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said all 21 crew members were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported.
According to The Sun, the vessel was carrying around 2,500 containers, including luxury perfumes and iPhones, with smaller boats reportedly seen approaching the site to retrieve goods floating in the water.
The incident comes amid rising tensions involving Iran and the United States, as attacks on commercial vessels around the Strait of Hormuz intensify.
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Separately, US forces struck an Iranian dhow on October 6 after accusing the vessel of conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman, according to US Central Command.
The crew members were removed before the vessel was destroyed, with no casualties reported.
In another incident, an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier, Cape Dao, sank near the Strait of Hormuz weeks after being struck by a projectile on September 23. Reuters reported that one crew member was killed in the attack, while the remaining crew members were evacuated.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported at least five incidents, including drone strikes, targeting tankers and other commercial vessels in the area over a 48-hour period.
The attacks have raised concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed before the war.
Iran has sought to tighten its control over the waterway following US and Israeli strikes on February 28, restricting maritime traffic as part of efforts to increase pressure on Washington.
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran was deploying new tactics against vessels transiting the strait, with the aim of keeping oil prices elevated and influencing the November 3 US midterm elections.
Iran has also said its escalating attacks are in response to a US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions imposed last month.