IMO warns thousands stranded as attacks surge near Strait of Hormuz
The International Maritime Organization warned on 19 October that about 6,000 seafarers remained stranded near the Strait of Hormuz as attacks on commercial vessels continued. U. S. Central Command said that roughly 97% of ships transiting the strait had done so without being hit by Iranian projectiles, while noting recent incidents. CNN reported that the Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride and the Antigua-Barbuda-flagged merchant vessel Cape Dao sank after being struck by projectiles in the strait, underscoring a rise in maritime incidents ahead of the U. S.
midterm elections. The New York Post said a supertanker caught fire after an unknown projectile hit it in the strait, hours after the earlier cargo-ship incident. Al Jazeera reported that a U. S. fighter jet hit the stern of the Panama-flagged cargo ship M/V Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its propulsion without harming the crew, as part of a renewed blockade of vessels linked to Iranian ports.
