iPhones and luxury perfume bottles were reportedly seen floating in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship caught fire and sank amid rising tensions and attacks on commercial vessels in the region. Viral footage appearing to show people collecting goods from the water has circulated online, although the video has not been independently verified. All 21 crew members of the Singapore-flagged vessel GFS Pride were rescued, while the cause of the sinking remains disputed.
The vessel, GFS Pride, was sailing under the Singapore flag and was managed by a Dubai-based company. Maritime authorities said the ship sustained damage and caught fire before sinking on Wednesday. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority.
What was the ship carrying?
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that the vessel was carrying more than 2,500 containers and sank after striking a naval mine while travelling along what it described as an unauthorised route through the strait.
Reports indicated that the cargo included iPhones and luxury perfumes. However, the ship’s complete cargo manifest and the exact number of containers aboard have not been independently confirmed.
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The circumstances surrounding the sinking also remain unclear. While the IRGC attributed the incident to a naval mine, maritime officials said the vessel had been struck by an unidentified projectile before catching fire.
Rising threats to commercial shipping
The incident comes amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor for global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Attacks on commercial vessels in and around the waterway have raised concerns about the safety of international shipping and the potential disruption of global trade. The sinking of GFS Pride highlights the growing risks faced by cargo vessels navigating the region as tensions between Iran and the United States continue to escalate.
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