Two Singapore registered ships struck in the Strait of Hormuz, and one of them sinks

The Hormuz shipping campaign Iran described to Reuters on Wednesday now has a sunken ship attached to it.

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority said two Singapore registered container vessels were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The GFS Pride was struck on October 13, sustained damage and a fire, and later sank. All 21 crew members aboard were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported. The GFS Giselle was struck on October 14, sustained hull damage, and reached a safe anchorage under its own propulsion, with all 22 crew members safe. The authority said there were no Singaporeans aboard either vessel and that it is in contact with the vessels' management company.

The sinkings match the pattern Iranian officials outlined the same day: a change of tactics about ten days ago, more attacks on ships Tehran says violate its restrictions, and operations spreading beyond the strait. Maritime security reports counted at least five incidents involving commercial vessels in 48 hours, including the container ship and tanker hit inside the strait on Tuesday. Before the war began on February 28, roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas trade passed through Hormuz. A container ship on the bottom of the strait is the kind of fact that moves insurance rates and reroutes fleets faster than any statement, and it is why the price of Brent crude stood at 106.03 dollars a barrel as of Wednesday.