The total loss of a container ship like the GFS Pride is relatively rare, with just 33 such events between 2016 and 2025, according to insurance provider Allianz Commercial. The risks to all kinds of trade through the strait have risen sharply as Iran ramps up attacks in a bid to reassert control over the vital waterway.
A cargo ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz after a strike that sparked a fire and the evacuation of crew members, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.
The GFS Pride was damaged in a strike by “unknown projectiles” while transiting the strait on Oct. 13, according to an authority statement. All 21 crew members were evacuated without injuries before the Singapore-flagged vessel sank.
The total loss of a container ship like the GFS Pride is relatively rare, with just 33 such events between 2016 and 2025, according to insurance provider Allianz Commercial. The risks to all kinds of trade through the strait have risen sharply as Iran ramps up attacks in a bid to reassert control over the vital waterway.
Another Singapore-flagged freighter, the GFS Giselle, was struck Oct. 14, suffering hull damage, according to the statement. The ship sailed to a safe anchorage under its own power and none of the 22 crew were hurt.
Meanwhile, a bulk carrier called the Cape Dao has sunk after a Sept. 23 attack that killed one crew member, the International Maritime Organization said without providing a date for the foundering.
Iranian attacks on oil tankers have added a considerable risk premium to crude prices and sent the cost of hiring vessels surging around the world. Last week, the US said it destroyed an “Iranian-affiliated boat” in the Gulf of Oman.
Global Feeder Shipping, the United Arab Emirates-based owner of the Pride and the Giselle, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Peonies Shipmanagement, the UAE-based operator of the Cape Dao, declined to comment.