One commercial ship was sunk and another damaged by “unknown projectiles” while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
The port authority said on Wednesday that the two incidents, on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14, involved the GFS Pride and the GFS Giselle, both Singapore-registered container vessels. It described attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz as “unjustifiable” and a “breach of international law.”
The incidents come as the United States and Iran continue to dispute control over the strategic waterway amid ongoing conflict between the two countries. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran was reviewing a U.S. response to the regime’s proposal to reopen the key waterway.
The GFS Pride sank after sustaining damage and catching fire, according to the port authority. All 21 of the ship’s crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
The GFS Giselle also sustained hull damage as it was transiting the strait, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and the container ship was able to arrive “under its own propulsion at a safe anchorage,” with all 22 crew members safe and no reported injuries.
Both incidents were also reported by the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said Wednesday that it was in contact with the management company of the two commercial vessels and was closely monitoring the situation. The port authority added that it was “deeply concerned” about continued attacks targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law. All actions affecting international shipping must fully comply with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and must not endanger the safety of seafarers and ships at sea,” the port authority said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy reported that a cargo ship sank after hitting a mine while navigating a dangerous route on Wednesday. It is not immediately clear whether the ship was one of the Singapore-flagged vessels.
The Iranian regime has repeatedly warned ships against attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without its approval. However, the Trump administration has maintained that the key waterway is under the control of U.S. forces and Washington’s partners in the region.
U.S. military forces have continued to help guide ships navigating the strait as attacks on commercial ships have continued. Last week, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces had supported the transport of over 1.25 billion barrels of oil.
The U.S. military has also continued to enforce its naval blockade of Iranian ports, redirecting 135 ships and disabling four others as of Oct. 10.
CENTCOM responded on Wednesday to claims made by Iran’s ambassador to the International Maritime Organization that the U.S. military was using “threatening, abusive, and provocative language” against Iranian mariners. The command called the accusations false and said the blockade was “professionally communicated.”
“The only country attacking civilian mariners transiting regional waters is Iran,” CENTCOM wrote in an X statement. “Despite these unjustified attacks, commercial traffic continues to flow through the Strait of Hormuz with coordinated protection from U.S. forces and regional partners.”
CENTCOM also released a video on Oct. 14 that showed U.S. forces destroying an Iranian-affiliated dhow on Oct. 6. The Iranian-affiliated vessel was destroyed as it was targeting U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman and conducting surveillance, CENTCOM said in a statement on X.
“Over the past seven months, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters in addition to U.S. Navy warships,” the command said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s navy announced this week that it has deployed operational units east of the Strait of Hormuz and across the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea, according to the Iranian state-run Fars News Agency.
The operational units are responsible for “maintaining continuous, real-time surveillance of enemy activities and maritime traffic in the region,” the Iranian navy said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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