News / Safeen box ship hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz

Safeen Prestige Photo: VesselFinder

A missile today struck a containership believed to be operated by Safeen Feeders.

UK Maritime Trade Operations and maritime security firm Vanguard Maritime Solutions confirmed that the Malta-flagged 1,815 teu Safeen Prestige was hit around 11.09am UK time, while sailing eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has closed since Monday, due to its conflict with the US and Israel.

EconDB data shows the 2013-built Safeen Prestige on a shuttle service between Oman’s Salalah port and Khalifa, Abu Dhabi.

Information from Lloyd’s Agency Network indicates that the ship was approximately two nautical miles north of Oman, near the Musandam exclave, when it was attacked.

The projectile reportedly hit Safeen Prestige just above the waterline, resulting in a fire in the engine room.

As a precautionary measure, the crew abandoned the vessel, which is technically managed by GFS Ship Management, a subsidiary of AD Ports’ liner operating unit, Global Feeder Shipping.

No injuries have been reported, and there are no indications of pollution or environmental damage.

The attack on Safeen Prestige would be the ninth on a ship since the US and Israel bombarded Iran on Saturday.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard closed the Strait of Hormuz, the transit point for 20% of global seaborne oil traffic, threatening to “set fire” to any ships that try to cross the water. Nearly 150 ships remain stranded.

Ship databases show Safeen Prestige was owned by AD Ports between May 2022 and August 2024, before being sold to Egyptian investment group IACC Holdings, in a leaseback transaction.