A container ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as Iran escalated its attacks on commercial vessels.
The GFS Pride, registered in Singapore, sank after it was struck by an unidentified projectile and caught fire. The ship's 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
"Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable and a breach of international law," the Singapore maritime authority said in a statement Wednesday.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed early Wednesday that a container ship exploded and sank after hitting a naval mine, according to the state news agency Tasnim. But there is no independent evidence to confirm that a mine is what caused the Pride to sink, according to the maritime security firm Marisks.
Iran's claims are "consistent with an ongoing psychological operations campaign aimed at generating fear, increasing uncertainty and discouraging commercial shipping" in Hormuz, Marisks said in a security alert.