RIYADH, Sept. 3 — Saudi Arabia on Wednesday accused Iran of attacking a Saudi-owned oil supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz, saying two Filipino sailors were killed when the vessel Sidr was hit while transiting the strategic waterway late Monday.
The Saudi national shipping company Bahri confirmed that its very large crude carrier Sidr was “involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz” at about 11:40 p.m. local time on Monday. “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, extending condolences to their families. The kingdom’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “Iran’s targeting of the Saudi tanker (Sidr)” and urged all parties to de-escalate and respect the safety of international navigation.
Sidr was one of two supertankers carrying Saudi crude reported to have been struck within minutes of each other late Monday as they sailed outbound through the strait. Maritime security firms said Sidr was hit by unknown projectiles about 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, while the South Korean-owned Senegal Prosperity was struck by three projectiles nearby. Each vessel was carrying around two million barrels of oil.
Iran did not directly respond to the Saudi accusation. Earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the two tankers had caught fire after striking mines while using an unauthorized route through the strait, which it said they took at the urging of the U.S. military.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally pass, has been effectively closed since the outbreak of the war between Iran and the United States and Israel in February, amid Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Crossings have fallen sharply, with tracking data showing only five vessels transiting on Tuesday compared with 25 the previous Thursday. International maritime organizations have verified at least 70 attacks on ships in the region since the war began, with 19 seafarers killed as of late August.
The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers said it was coordinating the repatriation of the two crew members and assisting their families. “We continue to remind shipowners to be mindful of the safety of our seafarers on board and to keep them out of harm’s way,” department Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said, stressing that Filipino seafarers have the right to refuse sailing in high-risk areas such as the Strait of Hormuz.