UKMTO has issued four new warnings of separate attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, reporting strikes on a tanker and three container ships on 13 October.
The vessels were each hit by unknown projectiles and were not identified in the warning notices, but Vanguard Tech has identified the container ships as GFS Pride, GFS Giselle, and Al Saadiyat and the tanker as Alfonso.
The four attacks bring UKMTO’s tally of warnings to 24 for the month of October to date, as well as three advisories.
Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that Singapore-flagged GFS Pride has sunk since a projectile strike caused damage and a fire onboard. All 21 crew were safely evacuated, it added.
Vanguard Tech said GFS Giselle suffered minor damage after being struck during its inbound transit before continuing on its way with no injuries reported; MPA confirmed the 22 crew were safe and that the ship has arrived at safe anchorage despite sustaining hull damage.
The status of Alfonso is unclear, and Al Saadiyat has no significant damage or casualties reported after it was attacked during an outbound transit.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed a container ship struck a mine in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Sepah News. In a statement, the IRGC Navy claimed the ship was carrying 2,500 containers and attempted to transit an “unauthorised and dangerous” route through the Strait. The mine explosion caused a severe fire onboard and the vessel sank, it claimed.
Alfonso is included in the Persian Gulf Strait Authority’s (PGSA) non-compliance list, a blacklist created by Iran of vessels it claims have violated Iran's rules in the Strait. Vessels on the list are subject to restrictions on future passages, fines, detention, or confiscation, PGSA says.
The container ships are not on the PGSA blacklist but Global Feeders Shipping’s GFS Galaxy, part of the same fleet as GFS Pride and GFS GIselle, was among the first ships added when the list was created.
Vanguard also reported that Antigua & Barbuda-flagged capesize bulk carrier Cape Dao was sinking after an unsuccessful rescue attempt. The ship was initially struck on 23 September in an attack that killed one seafarer.
The intensification of attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz has drawn a limited response from US forces. The US attack on Ocean Molica was its first hit on a merchant ship in the region for a month.
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