According to Reuters, maritime officials stated on October 14 that within the past 24 hours, a container ship and a bulk carrier sank near the Strait of Hormuz.
Reports indicate that there has been a surge in attacks in the Hormuz Strait and surrounding waters over the past 10 days. Iran states that as a response to the US blockade of its ports and further tightening of sanctions, Iran has increased the intensity of its attacks.
According to maritime safety sources, the container ship 'GFS Pride', flying the flag of Singapore, sank while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority stated in a statement on the 14th that the ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 13th. 'GFS Pride' was damaged and caught fire before sinking. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, and there were no reports of injuries.
In another incident, the bulk carrier ‘Cape Dao’ carrying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda also sank near the Hormuz Strait. Data released by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), an agency under the United Nations, on the 14th showed that the ship was attacked by unknown objects on September 23 and sank several weeks later. The attack resulted in the death of one crew member, while the remaining crew was evacuated immediately after the attack.
According to Reuters' analysis of IMO accident data, the GFS Pride and Cape Dao are the second and third ships to sink since the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on February 28.
According to the British Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO), which is part of the British Navy, The Wall Street Journal reported that on the 13th, two more container ships and one oil tanker were attacked while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Windward AI of the Marine Intelligence Company stated on Tuesday that the number of attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters last week reached the highest level since the conflict began, with a total of 12 attacks occurring.
According to statistics from the UK and maritime safety companies, since October, approximately 24 ships have been attacked in the Hormuz Strait and surrounding waters, which is more than the number of ships that were attacked throughout September.
Marisks, a maritime risk management company, said: "The latest incident once again demonstrates that merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz continue to face threats."
Since the outbreak of the conflict between the United States and Iran, Tehran has been trying to strengthen its control over the Strait of Hormuz, by restricting maritime traffic and increasing its bargaining chips in negotiations with Washington.
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Iran is increasingly adopting new tactics to target ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, attempting to maintain high oil prices and influence the U.S. midterm elections.
Although the attacks in Iran and the United States mainly targeted oil tankers, other types of cargo ships were also attacked, with some vessels losing their ability to navigate or sinking. In March of this year, the container ship “Safeen Prestige,” flying the flag of Malta, was attacked by unknown targets and subsequently sank in the waters north of the Hormuz Strait.
