Saudi Arabia Accuses Iran of Fatal Attack on Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of attacking one of its oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that killed two Filipino sailors. The vessel, named Sidr, is owned by Bahri, the national shipping company of the kingdom.

The attack occurred late Monday while the supertanker was transiting the strategic waterway. Bahri confirmed the deaths in a statement, saying the seafarers were killed during a security incident at 23:40 local time.

The Saudi foreign ministry condemned the escalation and stressed the need to uphold international maritime safety and protect global energy supplies. The company said it remains in contact with the vessel and is coordinating with authorities and industry stakeholders.

Iran had previously threatened to target tankers moving through the strait without authorisation. The waterway is a vital artery for global energy trade, though traffic has declined since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February.

This is not the first such incident involving Bahri vessels. In July, another of its supertankers, the Wedyan, was hit near Oman's coast. Two other Bahri ships, Masa and Amzan, were attacked in the Red Sea in July and August after Yemen's Houthi forces, backed by Iran, declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.