Saudi Arabia says Iran attacked vessel in Hormuz, killing two sailors

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter, said ​on Wednesday that ​an Iranian attack on an oil tanker owned ​by its national shipping company had killed two Filipino seafarers.

Sidr, owned by Bahri, was one of two supertankers carrying Saudi oil ‌reported to ⁠have been ⁠hit late on Monday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran ​has threatened tankers attempting to sail through the narrow waterway without ​authorisation, impeding energy exports from neighbouring oil-rich Gulf countries.


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About one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade ​used to pass through the Strait ⁠of Hormuz ‌before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes ​on Iran ​on February 28.

Bahri said the seafarers were ⁠killed in a security incident involving Sidr ​at 23:40 local time (2040 GMT) on Monday.

"The ​kingdom stressed the necessity of halting escalations, and respecting international maritime safety and the security of global energy supplies," the Saudi foreign ministry said.

Read more: Vessels crossing Strait of Hormuz drop to 5 per day over weekend

"Bahri remains in continuous contact with the vessel and is coordinating closely with ‌the relevant authorities and maritime industry stakeholders, while continuing to closely monitor developments," the company ​said in ​a statement.

In ⁠July, another Bahri vessel, the Wedyan supertanker, 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.