Iran announces container ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said a ship carrying more than 2,500 containers sank south of the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a sea mine. The ship’s identity and the crew’s condition were not disclosed, while vessels and fishermen in the area were warned about containers drifting on the surface.

Iran says a ship sank south of the Strait of Hormuz

A ship carrying more than 2,500 containers sank south of the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the incident occurred as the ship was attempting to pass through the strategic waterway along a route it described as unauthorized and dangerous.

According to the navy’s statement, the ship caught fire after hitting a sea mine. The vessel sank on Wednesday morning as the fire intensified, and containers that broke away from the ship began drifting on the surface.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy urged vessels and fishermen around the Strait of Hormuz to exercise caution. The ship’s name, flag and operator were not disclosed, and no information was provided about the fate of the crew.

A container ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz (archive)

String of maritime incidents in the strait

The incident occurred as Iran was imposing restrictions on commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Commercial vessels are required to use designated transit routes and coordinate in advance with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.

The United Kingdom’s maritime trade operations unit said the previous day that two container ships sailing in the strait had been damaged after being hit by unidentified objects. One of the vessels was hit at 4:40 p.m. as it entered the strait with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes, while the other was hit at 5 p.m. as it was leaving the strait with a capacity of 19,000 tonnes.

Damage to both ships remained limited. There were no casualties, and both vessels continued their voyages.

Fast attack boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (archive)

Restrictions on unauthorized routes

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said earlier in the week that some oil tankers had also hit sea mines or come under attack while attempting to pass through the strait along unauthorized routes.

Since April, Iran has enforced designated routes and a requirement for prior coordination for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. On May 30, Tehran announced that vessels using the strait must obtain prior permission from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and said it would consider unauthorized crossings a security threat.

The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding area from space (archive)

The latest developments in the Strait of Hormuz came as tensions over navigational safety between Iran and the United States continued along one of the world’s most important routes for energy and commodity transportation. Negotiations between the sides came under renewed pressure after clashes resumed and the talks were disrupted despite a framework agreement signed in June.

iPhones and perfume collected from the wreck

The sunken vessel was identified as the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride. Singaporean authorities said a fire broke out on board and all 21 crew members were evacuated. The Revolutionary Guards said the ship had strayed onto an unauthorized route and hit a mine, while maritime officials reported that it had been struck by an unidentified projectile, leaving the exact circumstances of the sinking disputed.

Footage shared on social media shows fishermen and small boats moving among floating containers and boxed phones, collecting iPhones, French perfumes and other imported goods. The contents of the ship’s cargo have not been independently confirmed, and there is no verified evidence that the phones seen in the footage are Apple’s newest models.