Massive Container Ship Sinks in Strait of Hormuz as Attacks Escalate (Videos)

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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on October 14 that a container ship carrying 2,500 containers struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz, caught fire and sank, in the latest incident in the strategic waterway.

Iranian state television, quoting an IRGC Navy statement, said the vessel had been traveling on what the Guards described as an “illegal and dangerous route” when it hit the mine in the morning.

The vessel was identified soon after as the GFS PRIDE, a Singapore-flagged container ship owned by the United Arab Emirates.

A NAVAREA IX maritime warning issued early on October 14 identified the ship as involved in a security incident that caused a fire and left it drifting about one nautical mile east of Ras Makhbuq, off Oman. Footage circulating online later showed the vessel partially submerged, consistent with reports that it was sinking.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported two separate attacks on container ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In one warning, UKMTO said a 50,000-tonne container ship was struck by an unknown projectile while traveling inbound through the strait. The vessel sustained minor damage, reported no casualties and continued its passage, according to the agency.

A second warning reported that a 19,000-tonne container ship was struck by an unknown projectile while traveling outbound. It also sustained minor damage, reported no casualties and continued its voyage. UKMTO did not identify either vessel by name and said authorities were investigating both incidents.

A day before the sinking was reported, Iran’s regular Navy announced the deployment of operational units in a new formation east of the Strait of Hormuz and across the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

In a statement, the Navy said the units would maintain “continuous, real-time surveillance” of enemy activities and maritime traffic throughout the area. It urged vessels not to switch off their electronic equipment and called on ships to coordinate their passage with Iran’s armed forces.

The successive incidents came amid an intensifying wave of attacks on commercial shipping. Reuters reported on October 14 that at least five incidents involving tankers and other commercial vessels had occurred around the Strait of Hormuz in the preceding 48 hours, including drone strikes.

The news agency said attacks on commercial vessels had reached their highest level since the war began, citing maritime security data and reports to UKMTO.

The attacks underscore Tehran’s growing ability to threaten and influence passage through the strait, even as Washington rejects Iran’s claim to control the waterway.

Commercial traffic remained severely curtailed on October 14, although passage had not stopped entirely. Reuters reported that some oil continued to transit the waterway, while the U.S. military was guiding vessels along a route off Oman’s coast.

The latest incidents further increased the risks for shipowners and crews operating through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

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