A container ship has sunk in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by an Iranian attack amid an escalation in violence in the critical waterway.
The Singapore-registered vessel, the GFS Pride, was attacked while transiting the strait on Tuesday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement Wednesday.
“GFS PRIDE sustained damage and a fire on board, and has since sunk,” the statement said, adding that all crew members were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
GFS Pride was one of four ships struck in the strait on Tuesday, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a maritime monitoring body affiliated with the British military. Of the vessels hit, three were container ships, according to UKMTO.
Iran has dramatically increased attacks in the Strait of Hormuz recently, striking more than 12 ships in two weeks. October has been one of the most violent months in the strait since the war between Iran, the United States and Israel began on Feb. 28.
Amid growing pressure on global energy prices, the United States has pushed for more ships to brave the perilous journey. Increased traffic last month brought oil flows to near prewar levels. U.S. forces are attempting to protect the increase in vessel traffic with expanded operations, including air cover and monitoring.
Even amid the increase in Iranian attacks in the strait, few commercial vessels have been disabled by the strikes. The last time a ship was sunk in the area was in March, when a United Arab Emirates-flagged tugboat was attacked and sunk as it tried to aid a disabled ship.
The statement from Singapore’s port authority said a second vessel, the GFS Giselle, was hit on Wednesday and sustained “hull damage.” But that ship was able to move from the place of the attack to a safe anchorage “under its own propulsion,” the statement said.
The post Iranian attack sinks container ship in Strait of Hormuz appeared first on Washington Post.
