Two container ships sink near strait of Hormuz amid surge in Iranian attacks

People walk past an anti-US billboard in Tehran depicting an IRGC member placing his foot on an unmanned underwater US vehicle. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

Two container ships sink near strait of Hormuz amid surge in Iranian attacks

The Guardian-Oct14th2026

Peter Beaumont Senior international correspondent

Two container ships near the strait of Hormuz have ⁠sunk after being struck by missiles, amid the sharpest rise in Iranian attacks on shipping since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.

The increase in attacks suggests Iran is trying to fully close the strategic waterway in an attempt to frustrate Donald Trump’s efforts to bring down fuel prices before the US midterm elections on 3 November.

The Trump administration has been attempting to deflect attention from the economic impact of the war on Iran by blaming Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries for increased fuel prices.

On Wednesday, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported at least five incidents including drone strikes in the previous 48 hours targeting tankers and other commercial ships around the Hormuz area.

“There is a tempo increase in strikes, which looks deliberate,” one maritime security source said.

The Singapore-flagged container ‌ship GFS Pride sank on Wednesday after an attack the previous day. Hours later, the Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged Cape Dao sank close to the strait, having been hit by a projectile on 23 September, according to data from ‌the ‌International Maritime Organization.

Apparently referring to the GFS Pride, Iran said a cargo ship had sunk after hitting a naval mine while making an unauthorised passage through the strait.

State television quoted a statement from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that said the ship was travelling on an “illegal and dangerous route” when it hit the mine.

The ship, which was shown tilted in the water and spewing a thick plume of smoke, was carrying 2,500 containers, the broadcast said.

However, UKMTO suggested that both ships had been hit by unidentified projectiles, raising questions over Tehran’s account.

Iran has repeatedly warned ships against trying to transit through the strait without its approval. The US military has been guiding ships through the waterway on a route nearer to Oman’s coast.

Ships in the area were reporting an intense series of attacks in recent days, with six vessels attacked on Sunday alone, according to UKMTO’s monitoring.

Analysis by the Financial Times said 24 ships were hit in the two weeks to 11 October. Of the vessels hit, three were refined energy product tankers and two others were crude oil tankers.

The increased tempo of Iranian attacks appears to have caused a dramatic drop-off in oil shipments through the strait, as Tehran appears determined to demonstrate its ability to strike ships before the US midterms that will decide control of Congress.

US fuel prices have surged by almost 70% since Trump launched his war on Iran, and the Republican party is bracing for punishment at the polls.