Two UAE-owned cargo ships have sunk near the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours, the first such losses since March. Attacks on commercial shipping have reached their highest level since the war began, and container ships are now among the targets.
The container ship GFS Pride was hit by an unknown projectile Tuesday about 1 nautical mile east of Ras Makhbuq, Oman, and sank the following day after a fire on board. Its crew was evacuated safely. The bulk carrier Cape Dao, carrying about 170,000 tons of coal from the UAE to India, also sank after being struck September 23, an attack that killed one Indian crew member.
Two other container ships and a tanker were attacked Tuesday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the GFS Pride was carrying 2,500 containers of contraband and hit a mine after taking an unauthorized route. Maritime security companies and U.S. officials say there is no evidence mines were involved. Windward AI recorded 12 attacks on commercial vessels last week, a wartime high, and about two dozen ships have been hit since the start of October, more than in all of September. Most were using a southern route near Oman under U.S. naval protection.
Craig Reilly of DASA International Movers said in his latest Situation Room update that a navigational warning now tells mariners to watch for floating containers. “Read it twice if you have cargo on the water this week,” he said. Reilly noted that 14 ships transited the strait Saturday, 13 of them small coasters. DASA’s planning has not changed, he said, “because none of it assumed the strait: gateway outside, overland to your door, tracking on or it doesn’t carry our cargo.” His advice to IAM members: “If your forwarder quoted you a direct Gulf call this week, ask which ship. Then ask again on Friday.”
IAM Member Impact: Container cargo moving through the strait now faces risks similar to those affecting tankers. Members with household goods or consolidated shipments for Gulf destinations should route through gateway ports outside the strait, such as Fujairah, Khor Fakkan, Sohar, or Saudi Red Sea ports, and complete delivery overland.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Member Contributions: Craig Reilly, DASA