Iranian attack on Saudi tanker killed two Filipino sailors, Saudi Arabia says
The kingdom condemns the targeting of Sidr, which was reportedly hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of an attack on a Saudi-owned supertanker that resulted in the deaths of two Filipino sailors on Monday night. The kingdom has condemned the incident.
On Wednesday, Bahri, the Saudi national shipping company, confirmed that its vessel, the Sidr, experienced a "security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz." Maritime security firms reported that the Sidr was hit by projectiles north of Oman's Musandam Peninsula. Around the same time, the Senegal Prosperity, a South Korean-owned supertanker, was reportedly struck east of Musandam.
Iran has not yet responded to Saudi Arabia's accusation. However, earlier, Iran stated that two tankers caught fire after hitting mines while using an unauthorized route through the strait.
The announcement of the sailors' deaths followed a series of exchanges between the US and Iran, marking their most significant confrontation since July. The US military conducted airstrikes on Iran, while Iranian forces targeted US bases in neighboring Arab states with missiles and drones.
Iran's health minister reported on Wednesday that 18 people were killed and 108 injured in the US attacks. Iran has labeled a US strike that killed four people, including two children, at a wedding party in the southern city of Sirik as a "war crime." The US military stated it is investigating these reports.
Bahri's statement detailed that the "security incident" involving the Sidr occurred in the Strait of Hormuz at approximately 23:40 local time (19:40 GMT) on Monday.
"It is with profound sadness that Bahri confirms the loss of two of its Filipino seafarers as a result of the incident," the company stated, extending its "deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to their families, loved ones, and colleagues during this difficult time."
Subsequently, the Saudi foreign ministry condemned "Iran's targeting of the Saudi tanker (Sidr) while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
The ministry also condemned recent Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. It emphasized the "need to halt escalation and respect the security and safety of international navigation," as well as the security of global energy supplies, national sovereignty, and international law.
These statements were issued a day after maritime risk management and intelligence firms Marisks and Kpler reported that two tankers, each carrying two million barrels of Saudi crude oil, were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other as they exited the Strait of Hormuz late Monday.
According to Marisks, the Sidr was hit by "unknown projectiles" at 19:52 GMT, approximately 16 nautical miles (30km) north-east of Khasab, Oman. The Senegal Prosperity was struck by "three unknown projectiles" about 17 nautical miles east of Khasab. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported two incidents in these same locations.
On Wednesday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement claiming that two oil tankers, "at the urging of the US military to transit via an illegal route" in the Strait of Hormuz, "striking mines and exploding." The IRGC added that the vessels were "currently on fire."
The US military has not commented on this specific claim but stated that its recent strikes on Iran were in response to "recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members."
The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, has been effectively closed since the US and Israel's war with Iran began in February. This closure is due to Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and a US blockade of Iranian ports.
A preliminary agreement between the US and Iran to end the war and reopen the strait was reached in June but collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated its blockade.
Iran has maintained its stance on retaining some control over the waterway and has targeted vessels using a southern route through Omani waters, which bypasses its preferred route through Iranian waters.
Despite the Iranian attacks, US President Donald Trump has declared the strait "open," and the US military has been assisting ships in navigating the southern route.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright reported that 17 million barrels of oil flowed through the Strait of Hormuz by ship on Monday, marking a record daily total since the start of the war.