Saudi Arabia Blames Iran for Attacking Oil Tanker in Hormuz

Saudi Arabia accused Iran of attacking an oil tanker owned by its national shipping company in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of two Filipino seafarers. The Sidr, a supertanker carrying Saudi oil, was hit on Monday at 23:40 local time (2040 GMT) while transiting the narrow waterway. This incident follows Tehran's threats against tankers attempting to sail through the Strait without authorisation, which has impeded energy exports from neighbouring Gulf countries.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas trade, with about one-fifth of global supplies passing through it. The recent tensions have caused concerns about the security of global energy supplies. In response to the incident, the Saudi foreign ministry stated that 'the kingdom stressed the necessity of halting escalations, and respecting international maritime safety.'

This is not the first attack on a Bahri vessel; in July, another Bahri supertanker, the Wedyan, was hit while passing through the strait close to Oman's coast. Two other Bahri vessels, Masa and Amzan, were attacked in the Red Sea in July and August after the Iran-backed Yemen's Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.