Iranian attack on Saudi tanker kills two Filipino sailors


On Monday night, Saudi Arabia’s state shipping company Bahri confirmed that its supertanker Sidr was struck by projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leading to the loss of two Filipino seafarers.


Saudi supertanker Sidr docked in the Strait of Hormuz

Bahri issued a statement saying the incident occurred at about 23:40 local time (19:40 GMT) on Monday, with the vessel located roughly 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman.


The same evening, a South‑korean owned supertanker, the Senegal Prosperity, was also reported hit by three projectiles east of Musandam. Both vessels were struck within minutes of each other, according to maritime security firms Marisks and Kpler.


Iran has not responded to the Saudi allegation but earlier stated that two tankers on an authorised route had struck mines and were engulfed in flames. Tehran claims the strikes were the result of “unlawful” attempts by the US to force ships through its preferred route.


The incident follows a broader escalation in the region, with US forces conducting a series of strikes on Iranian positions and Iranian missile and drone attacks on US bases in neighboring Arab states.


Saudi foreign ministry condemned the attack, decrying Iran’s targeting of the Sidr during its transit and voicing concern over recent Iranian assaults on Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Officials urged all parties to “halt escalation” and respect the safety of international navigation and global energy supplies.


Maritime risk firms reported that each of the two struck tankers ferried approximately two million barrels of Saudi crude oil, underscoring the potential threat to regional markets.


The Strait of Hormuz – through which about one‑fifth of world oil shipments pass – has been effectively closed since the start of the Iran‑Israel war in February, due to Iranian missile and drone attacks and a US blockade of Iranian ports. A preliminary agreement in June to reopen the strait collapsed when Iranian attacks resumed and the US reinstated its blockade.


Despite these setbacks, U.S. President Donald Trump has maintained that the strait is “open” and that the U.S. military is assisting ships in navigating the southern route.


U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted that 17 million barrels of oil flowed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a record daily total since the war began.