A Singapore-registered container ship caught fire and sank in the Strait of Hormuz after being struck by an unidentified projectile.
All 21 crew on board the GFS Pride were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported, Singapore's maritime authority has said.
The sinking was confirmed on Wednesday, after the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported the attack on Tuesday. A sister ship, the GFS Giselle, was damaged in the same wave of attacks but made its way to anchorage. Singapore condemned the strikes as a breach of international law.
The incident highlights how the US-Iran war has escalated risks to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
What do videos show?
Photos and videos on social media appeared to show a container ship listing heavily under thick black smoke, with containers and their contents floating nearby. Pakistan’s maritime authority warned mariners of floating containers in the area.
Other clips added a stranger note. Posts on X suggested small boats converged on the scene to scoop up cargo, and one described sellers doing business on the spot, calling out: “Do you want iPhones? Do you want perfumes?” Another post said paying Iran’s unilaterally declared transit toll, which has faced international opposition, would beat losing everything on board.
The footage is unverified. It could not be confirmed where or when any clip was filmed and whether it relates to the GFS Pride.
What was the ship carrying?
The GFS Pride had the capacity to carry 2,824 standard containers, it was reported. It was not clear how many it was carrying when it sank and no manifest was published.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the ship had more than 2,500 containers, including alleged contraband. The claim could be substantiated. The IRGC also warned local vessels and fishermen to avoid the floating boxes.
Why does it matter?
Quoting two senior Iranian officials, Reuters reported on Wednesday that Tehran was changing its tactics against shipping to keep oil prices high and influence the November 3 US midterm elections. One warned such vessels “would be safe nowhere, even outside the Strait of Hormuz”. Another said a complete closure of the waterway would come soon.
The IRGC claimed the ship struck a naval mine while using an “unauthorised” route. Tehran has described the US-backed route hugging the Omani coast as dangerous.
Maritime security firm Marisks said there was no independent evidence that a mine sank the vessel and described Iran’s claims as consistent with a psychological operations campaign. The available evidence does not establish that the southern route near Oman has been mined.