A container ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday due to increased attacks by Iran on merchant vessels.

According to the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority, a vessel named GFS Pride with its registration in Singapore sank after being hit by an unidentified projectile and catching fire. All 21 crew members on board were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

The Singapore Maritime Department stated in a statement on Wednesday: "Such attacks are unprovoked, have no justifiable reason, and violate international law."

According to reports by the state news agency Tasnim, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed earlier on Wednesday that a container ship exploded and sank after hitting a mine. However, the maritime security company Marisks stated that there is no independent evidence to confirm that the mine was the cause of the sinking of Pride.

In a security alert, Marisks stated that Iran's claims "are consistent with an ongoing psychological warfare campaign aimed at creating fear, increasing uncertainty, and preventing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz."

In recent weeks, Iran has intensified attacks on merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, attempting to cut off the export of crude oil that re-emerges through this strait.

According to incident reports from the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, more than 20 vessels have been attacked this month in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman, most of which were oil tankers.

The International Maritime Organization, a body of the United Nations, stated that this month's attacks have resulted in the disappearance of two seafarers and the injury of 12 others.

Data shows that after the U.S. military escorted oil tankers through the strait, crude oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz rebounded to pre-war levels in September, but as attacks increased, shipments subsequently declined.

According to the data from Kpler, as of the week of October 12th, the average crude oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz were 8.5 million barrels per day, which is nearly 40% lower than the normal level before the Iran war.

Data shows that, including the pipelines leading to the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea, the total daily shipment volume for the entire region is 14 million barrels, which is nearly 20% lower than the pre-war level.

Kpler indicates that there is significant daily variation in traffic: on Monday, only 3 million barrels of crude oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while on Friday, 6 million barrels pass through the same strait.