Saudi Arabia has officially condemned an Iranian attack on a Saudi-owned supertanker on Monday night, which resulted in the deaths of two Filipino crew members. The Saudi national shipping company, Bahri, confirmed on Wednesday that its vessel, the Sidr, was involved in a security incident at approximately 23:40 local time (19:40 GMT) while navigating the Strait of Hormuz. Bahri expressed its deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the two deceased Filipino seafarers.
According to maritime risk management and intelligence firms Marisks and Kpler, the Sidr was carrying two million barrels of Saudi crude oil when it was struck by unknown projectiles roughly 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, north of the Musandam Peninsula. At around the same time, a South Korean-owned supertanker carrying an identical volume of crude, the Senegal Prosperity, was reportedly struck by three unknown projectiles approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency also documented two separate security incidents matching those coordinates.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Iran's targeting of the Sidr and also denounced recent Iranian attacks directed at Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The ministry emphasized the urgent necessity of halting regional escalation, ensuring the safety of international navigation, protecting global energy supplies, and respecting both national sovereignty and international law.
Iran has not directly responded to the Saudi allegations. However, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) stated on Wednesday that two oil tankers had caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting mines while attempting to use an illegal route at the urging of the US military.
This maritime incident coincided with a significant escalation in military tensions, marked by a major exchange of fire between US forces and Iran. The US military executed a wave of airstrikes on Iran following what it described as attempted IRGC attacks on commercial shipping and American service members. Meanwhile, Iranian forces launched missile and drone attacks targeting US bases in neighboring Arab states. On Wednesday, Iran's health minister announced that the US attacks resulted in 18 deaths and 108 injuries. This included an accusation from Iran that the US committed a war crime by launching a strike that killed four individuals, including two children, at a wedding in Sirik. The US military stated it is currently investigating those reports.
