iPhones & Luxury Perfumes Seen Floating After Cargo Ship Sinks In Strait of Hormuz

A cargo ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz after being attacked by a projectile. The video footage emerged many days after the incident, when the U.S. Navy said it had damaged a ship linked to Iran in the Gulf of Oman, accusing it of targeting and monitoring U.S. warships deployed in the war-torn region.

The video showed perfume bottles and iPhone boxes floating in the waters surrounding the vessel and people getting into boats to pick up the goods.

According to a few media reports, it was a Singapore-flagged container vessel, the GFS Pride, which was carrying the luxury items from Dubai. Fortunately, the 21 crew members of the ship were rescued, and no injuries were reported. The ship was loaded with 2500 containers, filled with luxury perfume brands and iPhone models.

However, Iran said that the ship sank after hitting a naval mine while sailing what it called an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz, though maritime officials confirmed it was hit by a projectile after which it caught fire and went down with its cargo.

In another incident, the U.S. hit an Iranian boat, though the crew was rescued before the vessel was completely destroyed and no casualties were reported.

Last month, a bulk carrier sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda also sank close to Hormuz in a drone attack, killing one seafarer. The incidents come as attacks on merchant vessels continue to rise, raising concerns about the safety of seafarers, the ship and its cargo.

All the countries have called upon both parties to reach an agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said there were at least 5 ship attacks last month and at least 2 in the past 48 hours.

The situation around Hormuz escalated in the past week as Iran said it’s intensifying attacks in response to U.S. naval blockade of its ports and the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic last month.

Iran has vowed to tighten its grip over the Strait of Hormuz, restricting maritime traffic to build pressure on Washington. Top Iranian officials said they would be using new tactics to deal with ships attempting to cross the waterway without its permission.

This means oil prices would remain high, which could affect U.S. President Trump in the upcoming midterm elections next month.