Saudi Arabia Condemns Iran Over Supertanker Attack That Killed 2 Filipino Sailors
- Saudi shipping company Bahri confirmed that its supertanker Sidr was hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz late Monday night
- Two Filipino crew members died in the incident as Iran and Saudi Arabia offered conflicting accounts of what caused the attack
- The strike happened during one of the most intense periods of US-Iran military exchanges since the war began in February
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Saudi Arabia has formally condemned Iran over an attack on the Saudi supertanker Sidr that left two Filipino sailors dead after the vessel was struck by projectiles while passing through the Strait of Hormuz on August 31.
The Saudi national shipping company, Bahri, confirmed the attack on Wednesday, saying the incident occurred at approximately 23:40 local time (19:40 GMT) and took place about 16 nautical miles north-east of Khasab, Oman.
Source: Getty Images
"It is with profound sadness that Bahri confirms the loss of two of its Filipino seafarers as a result of the incident," the company said in a statement.
"The company extends its deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to their families, loved ones, and colleagues during this difficult time."
According to BBC, the Saudi foreign ministry followed with its own statement condemning "Iran's targeting of the Saudi tanker (Sidr) while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz," and also criticised recent Iranian strikes on Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Riyadh called for an immediate halt to escalation and respect for the security of international navigation, global energy supplies, and international law.
A second tanker also struck
Maritime intelligence firms Marisks and Kpler reported that a South Korean-owned supertanker, the Senegal Prosperity, was struck by three unknown projectiles around the same time, about 17 nautical miles east of Khasab. Both vessels were each carrying approximately two million barrels of Saudi crude oil. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported incidents in both locations.
Iran has not directly responded to Saudi Arabia's accusations. However, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps issued a statement on Wednesday saying two oil tankers had "struck mines and exploded" after attempting to travel through what it described as an unauthorised route through the strait at the urging of the US military. Iran said the vessels were "currently on fire."
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Escalating US-Iran military exchanges
The tanker attacks came during a sharp escalation between Washington and Tehran. Iran's health ministry said 18 people were killed and 108 injured in the latest wave of US air strikes on Iran. Iran accused the US of a "war crime" following a strike that killed four people, including two children, at a wedding party in the southern city of Sirik. The US military said it was looking into the reports.
The US military said its strikes followed what it described as recent attempted attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guards against commercial shipping and American service members in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and gas supplies normally pass, has been effectively closed since the US and Israel's war with Iran began in February. A preliminary agreement to reopen the strait, reached in June, collapsed within weeks.
Despite continued Iranian strikes on vessels using a southern route through Omani waters, US President Donald Trump has declared the strait "open." US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said a record 17 million barrels of oil passed through the strait by ship on Monday alone.
US warns Americans in Middle East of heightened security risks
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States government has warned its citizens currently in or travelling through the Middle East to stay on high alert, citing a complex and unpredictable security situation in the region.
The warning was posted on the US government's official X account on September 1, 2026.
Source: Legit.ng
