A container ship sank in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after striking a naval mine, according to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy.

The IRGC statement described the ship as a "violating" vessel that attempted passage via an "unauthorized and high-risk" route. The vessel, carrying more than 2,500 containers, suffered an explosion and caught fire before sinking earlier in the day.

The IRGC urged local vessels and fishing boats to exercise caution due to floating containers in the area. Some international reports identified the ship as the Singapore-flagged GFS Pride, a 2,824 TEU container vessel managed from the United Arab Emirates.

Maritime security sources reported the incident amid ongoing disruptions in the strait following the start of the US-Iran conflict on February 28. The waterway normally handles about one-fifth of global oil supplies, but traffic has been severely limited since coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

Iranian officials have signaled plans to expand attacks on commercial shipping beyond the strait into the Gulf of Oman and other areas. Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that the strategy aims to keep oil prices elevated ahead of US midterm elections in November.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations received a report of a container ship struck by an unknown projectile in the region, though details on any connection remain unclear. No casualties were reported in the incident.

This marks the second vessel reported sunk in the area since the conflict began, according to data from the International Maritime Organization.