A pair of cargo ships were reportedly sunk close to the Strait of Hormuz this week amid Iran’s threats to attack commercial shipping.
The Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride caught fire after being hit on October 13.
F-15EX Eagle II. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force.
A formation of four U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets, assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, fly over the Gulf of America, Nov. 21, 2025. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink flew in the backseat of the lead jet as part of his visit to Eglin AFB. The flight oriented Meink to F-15EX tactics, techniques and procedures being developed and advanced by the 53d Wing to include weapons capacity, next-gen survivability, and next-generation radars, sensors and networking capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles)
The bulk carrier Cape Dao had been struck on September 23. Reuters reported both sinkings on October 14, amid a rise in attacks along the waterway.
A third ship, GFS Giselle, was damaged but reached a safe anchorage.
GFS Pride Sinks; GFS Giselle Reaches Safety
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said on October 14 that GFS Pride and GFS Giselle had reportedly been struck by “unknown projectiles” while passing through the strait.
GFS Pride suffered damage and an onboard fire before sinking. “All 21 crew members were safely evacuated,” the authority said.
No injuries were reported.
GFS Giselle sustained hull damage but eventually reached a safe anchorage “under its own propulsion.” All 22 crew members were safe, with no injuries reported.
The authority dated the incidents October 13 and 14, respectively, using Singapore time.
Neither vessel had Singaporean nationals aboard.
The Singaporean government has since condemned the attacks as “unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law.” Its statement did not identify the attacker.
Cape Dao Was Hit in September
Cape Dao’s loss followed an attack that had already killed one crew member.
The International Maritime Organization’s incident register places the September 23 incident 15 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman.
In an update published on Wednesday, the IMO recorded the death of one seafarer and said that the vessel was “partially sunk.”
Maritime sources told Reuters that surviving crew members had evacuated the ship immediately following last month’s strike.
Maritime risk company MARISKS told Reuters: “The threat is not confined to tankers, with container vessels and bulk carriers also sustaining serious damage.”
Tanker crews are being offered double or triple wages amid the heightened chaos, with captains even commanding monthly salaries of up to six figures.
Neither GFS Pride nor Cape Dao was an oil tanker.
Iran Claims a Mine Strike
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy, a listed terror group, said a cargo ship had struck a naval mine while following a route it considered unauthorized.
But the Associated Press reported that it was unclear whether the vessel Iran described was the Singapore-flagged ship.
Iranian state television broadcast alleged photographs that cannot be independently verified.
Singapore has not said whether a mine strike occurred.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly threatened commercial ships attempting to pass via the waterway without the regime’s approval.
The U.S. military has reportedly guided many vessels along a route close to Oman’s coast.
Meanwhile, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Wednesday that Tehran must prepare for war even as it negotiates with Washington.
“They break their promises,” he said, arguing that Iran needed “sustainable deterrence.”
24 Seafarers Confirmed Dead
As of October 14, the IMO’s regional register listed 113 confirmed incidents and 24 seafarer fatalities.
Two Indian sailors went missing after the product tanker Petro Dolphin was attacked off the coast of Oman earlier this month.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), the US Navy’s information center, has reported several further attacks.
The IMO says around 20,000 seafarers, along with port workers and offshore crews, are affected by the situation.
In a September 16 appeal, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez urged governments: “Do not use these conflicts to attack innocent seafarers.”
He also warned against attributing every attack to the same country: “In the Strait of Hormuz, it is not only one country attacking merchant vessels.”
Houthis Escalate Against Riyadh
The disagreement was complicated last week by Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport being struck by a ballistic missile, claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terror proxy.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a scathing condemnation, requesting that the Houthis “must stop now,” adding, “We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people.”
He also noted that an American citizen had been among those killed in the attack.
The renewed violence threatens to derail the negotiations, although Qatar has maintained that talks are still possible.
On October 6, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that mediation between Washington and Tehran “are continuing and have not stopped.”
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
