A Malta-flagged container ship has been struck by a missile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, just off the coast of Oman, amid rapidly escalating tensions in the Gulf.

The vessel, named Safeen Prestige, reported the strike at around 1pm Malta time as it was en route to Saudi Arabia. Details regarding damage to the ship or potential injuries to crew members were not immediately available.

The attack comes against a backdrop of intensifying hostilities in the region. Iran has been carrying out sustained retaliatory strikes following recent Israeli and American attacks on its territory, which reportedly resulted in the death of the Iranian supreme leader. The situation has heightened fears of a broader regional confrontation.

Earlier this week, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that the Strait of Hormuz - a critical artery for global energy supplies - was under its control. The group warned that it would target vessels passing through the strategic waterway.

The strike on the Safeen Prestige marks the fourth reported attack on shipping in the area within the past 24 hours, raising concerns about the safety of commercial maritime traffic and the security of global energy flows.

Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the IRGC leadership, warned that oil prices could surge further, stating that Iran would not allow oil exports to leave the region under current conditions.

The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman, handles approximately 20 per cent of the world's oil supplies, making it one of the most strategically significant maritime chokepoints in the global economy.