Saudi tanker attacked in Strait of Hormuz; two Filipino sailors killed

Two Filipino sailors died when the Saudi-owned supertanker Sidr was struck by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, the shipping company Bahri confirmed Wednesday. The vessel was transiting outbound through the waterway at 23:40 local time when it was hit approximately 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. Saudi Arabia immediately attributed the attack to Iran, though Tehran has not acknowledged the allegation. Instead, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps claimed the tanker and a second vessel, the South Korean-owned Senegal Prosperity, had struck mines while attempting to use an unauthorized route through the strait.

Bahri released a brief statement expressing "profound sadness" over the loss of the two seafarers and extending condolences to their families and colleagues. The company did not specify the nature of the security incident or provide details about how the sailors were killed. The second tanker, Senegal Prosperity, was struck by three projectiles roughly 17 nautical miles east of Khasab around the same time, according to maritime security firms Marisks and Kpler. Both vessels were carrying approximately two million barrels of Saudi crude oil each. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency independently reported incidents at the same locations, corroborating the accounts from private intelligence firms.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry issued a formal condemnation of what it described as Iran's targeting of the Sidr while in transit. The statement also condemned recent Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, and called for a halt to escalation while emphasizing the importance of protecting international navigation, global energy supplies, national sovereignty, and adherence to international law. Iran has not responded directly to the Saudi accusations but has maintained its position that the tankers struck mines on a route the US military allegedly encouraged them to use.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of intensifying military exchanges between the United States and Iran. Days before the tanker strikes, the US military carried out a wave of air strikes on Iranian targets. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at US bases in neighboring Arab states—their largest exchange of fire since July. Iran's health ministry reported that 18 people were killed and 108 injured in the US attacks. The Iranian government has accused the US of committing a war crime in connection with a strike in the southern city of Sirik that killed four people, including two children at a wedding party. The US military said it was investigating the reports.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a flashpoint for the broader conflict between the US and Iran. Roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally pass through the waterway, but it has been effectively closed since February when the US and Israel began military operations against Iran. Iranian forces have repeatedly attacked commercial vessels, while the US has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports. A preliminary agreement reached in June to end the war and reopen the strait collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated its blockade.

Iran has made clear it will not relinquish some degree of control over the waterway. The country has specifically targeted vessels using a southern route through Omani waters that bypasses Iran's preferred shipping lanes. Despite the ongoing Iranian attacks, US President Donald Trump has declared the strait "open," and the US military has been assisting ships in navigating the southern route. On Monday alone, the day of the Sidr incident, 17 million barrels of oil flowed through the Strait of Hormuz by ship—a record daily total since the war began in February. The attack on the Sidr and Senegal Prosperity suggests that despite these efforts and declarations, the waterway remains a contested and dangerous passage.