GFS Pride Sinks After Attack in Strait of Hormuz

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said the container ship GFS Pride sank in the Strait of Hormuz after an attack on October 13, following damage and a fire. All 21 crew members were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported, the authority said. A second Singapore-registered container ship, GFS Giselle, was struck on October 14 and sustained hull damage, according to the authority. The vessel reached a safe anchorage under its own power, and all 22 crew members were safe. The reports do not establish whether the two vessels account for all of the attacks reported in the area over those dates. The projectiles’ source and the cause of GFS Pride’s sinking have not been established in the available reports. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed that a container ship sank after striking a naval mine. Maritime security company Marisks said there was no independent evidence that a mine caused GFS Pride to sink. The authority condemned the attacks on commercial shipping as unjustifiable and a breach of international law. It said it was monitoring the situation and in contact with the vessels’ management company.