US Says Iranian Strike Sinks American-Linked Ship in Strait of Hormuz
The GFS Pride goes down under tow as Iran's Guard Corps reports a third tanker hit in the strait in two days
Published
Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
The GFS Pride, a civilian vessel with ties to the United States, sank in the Strait of Hormuz after the US said it was struck by a projectile fired by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. The ship was being towed toward shore when it went down.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps says the GFS Pride was the third supertanker struck in the strait in two days. The Guard Corps says the vessel had switched off its navigation system and ignored warnings while trying to leave the strait. Iran's navy separately reported another tanker ablaze east of the strait on Thursday, and Iran has told Hezbollah to raise its readiness as the attacks continue.
The US is weighing use of the GBU-57 bunker-buster bomb against Iran, according to CNN sources.
The sinking marks the first confirmed destruction of a US-flagged vessel by Guard Corps fire in this conflict, a step beyond tanker boardings and warning shots and beyond even the Guard Corps navy chief's earlier threat to target approaching American ships. It comes as the Pentagon's reported interest in the bunker-buster bomb raises questions about how long Washington holds to its pledge of no strikes before the midterms. Transit through the strait is already far below pre-conflict levels, and the IEA has flagged a supply deficit, so an attack with an American-linked victim raises the chance that the political calculus shifts well before the November 3 timeline.