Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Incident type | Security Incident / Fire |
| Severity | High |
| Primary event | Projectile attack followed by fire and abandonment |
| Subsequent status | JMIC reported a second attack and sinking |
Vessel Details
| Vessel | Type | Flag state | IMO | MMSI | GT | LOA (m) | Breadth (m) | Year built |
|---|
| Safeen Prestige | Container ship | Malta [MT] | 9593517 | 249797000 | 18,252 | 175.43 | 27.41 | 2013 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2026-03-04 |
| Location | Strait of Hormuz, approximately 2 NM north of Salib, Oman |
| Coordinates | 26.4494, 56.2028 |
| Region | Persian Gulf |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Vessel outcome | JMIC reported sinking by 2026-04-02 at approximately 6.5 NM northeast of Ra’s Makhbūq, Oman |
| Environmental damage | JMIC reported the wreck in approximately 120 m of water; IMO later recorded an oil slick |
Key facts
- IFC-IOR reported that two projectiles struck the vessel and caused an engine-room fire while it was eastbound.
- Oman’s Royal Navy rescued all 24 crew, who were reported safe.
- JMIC reported that Safeen Prestige was attacked on 4 and 18 March and sank by 2 April.
- The attacker and the precise weapon type were not confirmed in the reviewed official sources.
Narrative
On 4 March 2026, Safeen Prestige was transiting eastbound in the Strait of Hormuz when it was struck off Oman. The IFC-IOR advisory described two projectiles, an engine-room fire, and safe abandonment. Oman’s official account reported that the Royal Navy rescued all 24 crew. The reviewed sources do not establish the attacker, a confirmed weapon type, the full extent of structural damage, or a monetary loss estimate.
JMIC later reported that the vessel was attacked again on 18 March and had sunk by 2 April at a position northeast of Ra’s Makhbūq on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. The IMO’s confirmed-incidents page records the vessel as sunk and notes an oil slick. The sources reviewed do not establish whether the later sinking resulted from the second attack, accumulated damage, or another cause.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2026-03-04 | Two projectiles struck Safeen Prestige while eastbound in the Strait of Hormuz, causing an engine-room fire. The crew abandoned the vessel safely and all 24 crew were rescued. |
| 2026-03-18 | JMIC reported a second attack on Safeen Prestige. |
| 2026-04-02 | JMIC reported that the vessel had sunk northeast of Ra’s Makhbūq, Oman, in approximately 120 m of water. |
Investigation
The reviewed official sources are maritime-security incident records and rescue reporting. No public accident-investigation report or causal finding was identified.
References
- Oman News Agency: Royal Navy rescues the crew of Safeen Prestige
- IFC-IOR weekly maritime security update, 26 February-4 March 2026
- JMIC Update 027, 2 April 2026
- IMO: Middle East highlighted confirmed incidents
- VesselFinder: Safeen Prestige vessel particulars
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