Saudi Arabia has condemned what it described as an Iranian attack on a Saudi-owned oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz that resulted in the deaths of two Filipino crew members.
Saudi shipping giant Bahri confirmed on Wednesday that its supertanker Sidr was involved in a security incident while passing through the strategically important waterway.
According to maritime security companies, the vessel was struck by projectiles north of Oman's Musandam Peninsula. At around the same time, another supertanker, the South Korean-owned Senegal Prosperity, was reportedly hit east of Musandam.
Iran has not directly responded to Saudi Arabia's accusation. However, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) previously said that two tankers had caught fire after striking mines while travelling along what it described as an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz.
The deaths of the sailors were reported as tensions between Iran and the US continued to escalate. The latest developments followed a series of US air strikes against Iran, while Iranian forces launched missiles and drones at US military positions in neighbouring Arab countries in what was described as the largest exchange of fire since July.
Iran's health minister said on Wednesday that 18 people had been killed and another 108 wounded in the US attacks. Tehran has also accused Washington of committing a “war crime” after a strike in the southern city of Sirik reportedly killed four people, including two children, at a wedding celebration. The US military said it was investigating the reports.
Bahri said the incident involving the Sidr occurred at approximately 23:40 local time on Monday, or 19:40 GMT, while the tanker was travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, the company expressed its grief over the deaths of the two Filipino seafarers and offered condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry later formally condemned what it called Iran's targeting of the Saudi tanker Sidr while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The kingdom also denounced recent Iranian attacks targeting Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. Saudi officials called for an end to the escalation and urged all parties to respect international navigation, national sovereignty, international law and the security of global energy supplies.
Maritime risk and intelligence companies Marisks and Kpler reported on Tuesday that two tankers, each carrying approximately two million barrels of Saudi crude oil, had been struck by unidentified projectiles within minutes of one another while travelling out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Marisks said the Sidr was hit at around 19:52 GMT, approximately 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab in Oman. The Senegal Prosperity was reportedly struck by three unidentified projectiles around 17 nautical miles east of Khasab.
The UK's Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported incidents in the same general areas.
Iran Claims Tankers Hit Mines
The IRGC said the two oil tankers had attempted to use what it called an “illegal route” through the Strait of Hormuz after being encouraged by the US military. According to Iranian officials, the vessels subsequently struck mines and exploded, leaving them on fire.
The US military has not commented specifically on the claim. However, it said its latest strikes against Iran came after what it described as attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US personnel.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically important shipping routes, with roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally passing through it.
The waterway has faced severe disruption since the US and Israel began their war with Iran in February. Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels, combined with a US blockade of Iranian ports, have significantly affected maritime traffic.
A preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran in June had raised hopes of an end to the conflict and the reopening of the waterway. However, the agreement collapsed within weeks after attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated its blockade.
Iran has maintained that it should retain a degree of control over the Strait of Hormuz and has targeted vessels using a southern route through Omani waters rather than its preferred shipping corridor through Iranian waters.
Despite the continued tensions, US President Donald Trump has said that the strait is “open”, while US forces have been assisting commercial vessels travelling through the southern route.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that approximately 17 million barrels of oil were transported through the Strait of Hormuz by ship on Monday, marking the highest daily volume recorded since the conflict began.
