Saudi Arabia has condemned an attack on its supertanker, Sidr, which killed two Filipino sailors.
The national shipping firm Bahri said the vessel was “involved in a security incident” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz at about 23:40 local time on Monday. It confirmed the loss of two Filipino seafarers and offered condolences to their families.
Maritime security firms Marisks and Kpler reported that Sidr and the South‑Korean tanker Senegal Prosperity were hit by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other, both north of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. The strikes occurred while the tankers were carrying two million barrels of Saudi crude oil each.
Saudi authorities blasted the incident as an “Iranian attack” and expressed “profound sadness” at the loss of life. The kingdom also condemned recent Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, urging the escalation to halt and for the safety of international navigation, global energy supplies and sovereign rights.
Iran has not responded to the Saudi claim but said earlier the two tankers had struck mines saying they were “currently on fire.” The attack follows a series of Iranian missile and drone strikes on commercial vessels, as well as US air strikes on Iranian forces, marking the most intense exchange of fire since the start of the war in February.
