Saudi Arabia has condemned an alleged Iranian attack on a Saudi-owned supertanker that resulted in the deaths of two Filipino sailors. The Saudi national shipping company, Bahri, confirmed that its vessel Sidr was involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night. According to maritime security firms, Sidr was struck by projectiles north of Oman's Musandam Peninsula. Another supertanker, Senegal Prosperity, was reportedly hit around the same time. Iran has not responded to the allegations but previously stated that two tankers caught fire after hitting mines while using an unauthorized route through the strait.
The incident occurred amid escalating tensions, as the US military conducted air strikes on Iran, which led to Iranian forces targeting US bases in neighboring Arab states. Iran's health minister reported that 18 people were killed and 108 injured in the US attacks, which Iran described as a "war crime" following a strike that killed four individuals, including two children, at a wedding in Sirik. The US military is investigating these claims.
Bahri's statement confirmed the loss of the two Filipino seafarers and expressed condolences to their families. The Saudi foreign ministry condemned Iran's targeting of the Sidr and criticized recent Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, emphasizing the need to respect international navigation and energy security.
Maritime risk management firms reported that two tankers, each carrying two million barrels of Saudi crude oil, were struck by projectiles within minutes while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Sidr was hit at 19:52 GMT, approximately 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, while the Senegal Prosperity was struck about 17 nautical miles east of Khasab. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported two incidents in these locations.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps claimed that the two oil tankers were urged by the US military to take an illegal route before striking mines. The US military has not commented on the incidents but stated that the strikes on Iran were in response to recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping and US service members.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for global oil and gas shipments, has effectively been closed since the onset of the US and Israel's conflict with Iran in February due to Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and a US blockade of Iranian ports. A preliminary agreement to end the conflict and reopen the strait was reached in June but collapsed shortly after due to renewed Iranian attacks and the reinstatement of the US blockade. Iran has maintained that it will not relinquish control over the waterway and has targeted vessels using alternate routes that avoid Iranian waters. Despite these tensions, US President Donald Trump has stated that the strait is open, with the US military assisting ships in navigating the southern route. On Monday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright reported that 17 million barrels of oil flowed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking a record daily total since the conflict began.