Strait of Hormuz: bulk carrier Cape Dao sinks, the third ship lost since the war began

The bulk carrier Cape Dao, flagged in Antigua and Barbuda, which was hit by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz on 23 September 2026, has sunk. International Maritime Organization (IMO) data has recorded the ship's sinking. In an earlier report, DIAR had reported the failure of efforts to save the bulk carrier and the risk that it would sink.

Thus in less than 24 hours two merchant ships were lost in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz: before the Cape Dao, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore had confirmed the sinking of the container ship JFS Pride. According to International Maritime Organization data, the Cape Dao is the third ship to sink in this waterway since the war began on 28 February 2026.

From the 23 September attack to the sinking

In the 23 September attack on the Cape Dao, one crew member was killed and the rest of the crew abandoned the ship immediately after the projectile hit. Efforts to save the ship over the following weeks failed. Pioneer Ship Management, the UAE-based manager of the ship, has not responded to requests for comment.

Maritime experts are concerned about the fuel and other materials still aboard these ships, although no sign of a large-scale oil spill has been reported so far.

A new wave of attacks on ships

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said another container ship, the JFS Giselle, was also targeted on Wednesday, 14 October, and its hull was damaged, but the ship reached a safe anchorage under its own power. The authority called the continuing attacks unprovoked, unjustifiable and a violation of international law.

Data from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre and maritime security sources has recorded at least 14 incidents in the past week, ranging from attacks and attempted attacks to ships being blocked from passing; the centre had earlier reported 15 attacks in eight days. The month that began on 23 September 2026 is one of the most violent months in the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israeli war with the Islamic Republic began.

Background

The Cape Dao was hit by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz on 23 September and has remained at sea damaged since then. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had earlier claimed that a container ship south of the Strait of Hormuz had sunk after hitting a mine, without naming it.

The bulk carrier Cape Dao is the third ship to sink in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.