Two vessels sank in and around the Strait of Hormuz this week, including the Singapore-flagged feeder GFS Pride, which went down with cargo still aboard after being struck by projectiles. The sinkings mark a sharp escalation for container shipping in a waterway where attacks had previously centered on tankers.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported three container ships and a fourth vessel hit on Tuesday. Floating containers from one wreck now pose a navigation hazard off the coast of Oman.

At least 10 vessels have been attacked in or near the strait since the weekend. Six were hit Sunday and four on Tuesday. Sunday marked the highest single-day tally of maritime incidents since the war in Iran began. From Oct. 1 through Thursday morning, UKMTO logged 21 attacks on vessels in the region.

What does this change for Gulf feeder operators?

The GFS Pride is a 2,824-TEU feeder run by Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping, connecting the UAE's Port of Jebel Ali with Persian Gulf ports and onward to Asia. Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) confirmed all 21 crew members were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a container ship carrying 2,500 containers struck a mine on what it called an unauthorized and dangerous route, then exploded and sank. The IRGC did not identify the vessel. The claim does not hold up against two other accounts.

The MPA said the GFS Pride and a second GFS vessel were struck by unknown projectiles. U.S. Central Command went further, stating the Pride was hit by an IRGC projectile and sank while under tow, and that the strait's primary shipping routes remain clear of mines.

The second GFS vessel hit Tuesday was the GFS Giselle, also Singapore-flagged. The MPA said the Giselle sustained hull damage and reached safe anchorage under its own power, with all 22 crew members safe. MarineTraffic placed that incident on an outbound transit about six nautical miles off Oman.

A third box ship struck the same day was the Marshall Islands-flagged Al Saadiyat, identified by maritime security firm Vanguard Tech. It was damaged about one nautical mile off Oman. Vanguard reported no casualties and said the vessel continued its voyage.

The other sinking was the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao, which went down close to the strait Tuesday. Cape Dao had already survived a projectile strike near the channel on Sept. 23 that killed one crew member. The International Maritime Organization counts these as the second and third sinkings since the war began Feb. 28, after the Maltese-flagged Safeen Prestige was struck and sank in March.

Where is diverted cargo backing up?

Cargo from ships avoiding Hormuz is stacking at the region's alternative gateways. Kuehne+Nagel reported Wednesday that the UAE's Khor Fakkan and Fujairah ports absorbed the shifted volumes and remain central pressure points, while Hormuz container movements stay sporadic and limited to regional feeders. The forwarder expects both ports to stay under significant pressure in the coming weeks.

In a Wednesday update, Expeditors International listed Jebel Ali plus Khalifa and Sharjah as "operational but constrained" with no direct vessel options. The forwarder said Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Port is congested, with 10-to-12-day landside delays after cargo discharge.

Transit activity has thinned. Windward AI counted just six visible Hormuz transits on Wednesday — two inbound, four outbound — plus two shadow-vessel movements. One week prior, the strait recorded 12 inbound and six outbound transits. Windward counts 982 vessels currently inside the Persian Gulf, including 50 container ships, with 138 identified as at high risk of attack.

Oil flows have also dropped. Kpler, MarineTraffic's parent company, showed 2.9 million barrels transiting Sunday against nearly 20.8 million on Oct. 8. The commodity intelligence provider said nearly 4.15 million barrels got through Monday — less than a quarter of pre-war levels.

Iranian officials told Reuters the country is stepping up strikes in response to the U.S. blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions imposed last month.

What is the sourcing decision?

For brands routing Gulf volumes through Jebel Ali feeder networks, the calculus has hardened. Hormuz transits now carry verified projectile risk to box ships, not just tankers, and the fallback ports — Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Jeddah — are already absorbing congestion and multi-week landside delays. Sourcing teams should confirm which UAE gateway their forwarder is actually using, and price in the delay, before committing Gulf-bound orders this month.