SINGAPORE | October 15, 2026 | Two commercial vessels have been sunk or damaged in separate projectile attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting a cruise missile over the Medina region, underscoring growing security risks across the Middle East.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said the Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the strait on October 13. The vessel caught fire and subsequently sank, but all 21 crew members were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported.
A second Singapore-registered container ship, GFS Giselle, was struck on October 14 and sustained hull damage. According to the authority, the vessel reached a safe anchorage under its own power, and all 22 crew members were safe. No Singaporean nationals were aboard either ship. The authority condemned the attacks as violations of international law. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors maritime security incidents, separately reported projectile strikes involving commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on October 14. Authorities were investigating the incidents and advised ships to transit with caution. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government said it intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile over the Medina region on October 15. Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki attributed the missile to Yemen’s Houthi movement, according to Saudi Gazette. The report came amid a series of missile and drone threats against Saudi territory. The Houthis have previously denied targeting Islam’s two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, according to the Associated Press.
The maritime attacks add to mounting concerns over commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The strait is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying a substantial share of internationally traded oil and liquefied natural gas.
The International Maritime Organization’s incident tracker recorded the sinking of the GFS Pride on October 13 and documented numerous other attacks and damage to vessels in the region. The repeated incidents have raised concerns over the safety of seafarers, international trade and energy supplies.
The latest developments come amid widening regional hostilities involving Iran, Israel, the United States and armed groups operating in the region. The responsibility for the attacks on the two ships remains under investigation by the relevant authorities.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
