The vessel was carrying more than 2,500 containers when it sank. (Photo/X)
Hundreds of Iranian fishermen have headed into the Strait of Hormuz in small boats to retrieve valuable goods, including iPhones and French perfume, from containers lost after a cargo ship sank on October 14. All 21 crew members were evacuated safely.
The Singapore-flagged GFS Pride went down after a fire broke out on board, Singapore said.
The GFS Pride was the second ship to sink within 24 hours and the third reported loss of its kind during the conflict. The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Cape Dao sank following an attack on September 23. At the same time, the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting ballistic missiles and drones targeting Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom.
The vessel was carrying more than 2,500 containers when it sank, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, which claimed the ship had entered an “unauthorised and dangerous” route and struck a sea mine, triggering the fire. Meanwhile, Iran’s regular navy said it had “monitored” a fire aboard a “violating tanker” in the Gulf of Oman. The navy alleged that the vessel had switched off its tracking systems and attempted to enter a “prohibited zone”. Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki said its forces had shot down a ballistic missile heading towards Yanbu, a Red Sea port.
Videos circulating online showed dozens of small boats moving between containers floating partly underwater. Fishermen were seen hauling boxes from the sea, while one boat attempted to tow an entire shipping container. The rush to recover cargo comes as attacks on commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz intensify amid the ongoing war. Brig Gen Mohammad Akraminia, an Iranian army spokesman, warned that Tehran would force American troops out if they remained in the region. “If America leaves the region, the Strait of Hormuz will open, collective security will be established with the participation of regional states, and the global economy will improve. And if it does not leave, we will expel it. Akraminia blamed Washington for the insecurity east of the strait and urged shipowners to use a shipping corridor designated by Iran’s armed forces. He claimed vessels travelling along the route would be safe. The IRGC navy has warned commercial vessels away from dangerous areas while also advising local fishermen to exercise caution around containers drifting in the water. Elsewhere in the region, fighting intensified around another critical shipping route near the Arabian Peninsula. In Yemen, the Houthis tightened their siege of Taiz, the country’s third-largest city, while advancing on several fronts. They also destroyed two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and intercepted three drones over Riyadh and Saudi Arabia’s southern regions. The developments highlight the growing risks to shipping and regional security, with military activity threatening vital maritime routes in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Iran on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen if the United States withdrew its forces from the region.