A container ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as Iran escalated its attacks on commercial vessels. The GFS Pride, registered in Singapore, sank after it was struck by an unidentified projectile and caught fire. Its 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. "Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable and a breach of international law," the Singapore maritime authority said in a statement.
Containers were floating in the water after the vessel sank, Pakistani maritime authorities warned in a navigational alert. It is the third commercial ship sunk during the Iran war, according to the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency. A second Singapore-registered container ship, the GFS Giselle, sustained hull damage after being hit by an unidentified projectile on Wednesday. It has reached safe anchorage, and none of its crew were hurt.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed early Wednesday that a container ship exploded and sank after hitting a naval mine, according to the state news agency Tasnim. However, there is no independent evidence confirming a mine caused the Pride to sink, according to the maritime security firm Marisks, which described Iran's claims as consistent with a psychological operations campaign aimed at discouraging commercial shipping.
More than 20 vessels, mostly oil tankers, have come under attack this month in Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. Crude exports through Hormuz had returned to prewar levels in September, but averaged 8.5 million barrels per day in the week ended Oct. 12, nearly 40% below normal levels, according to Kpler data.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing