Two Filipino crew members were killed after Iran attacked the oil tanker Sidr, owned by Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company Bahri.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bahri said this in statements, Reuters reports.
The vessel was one of two supertankers carrying Saudi oil that were struck late on Monday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Bahri, the deaths of the two Filipino sailors occurred as a result of a security incident involving the Sidr at around 23:40 on Monday.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s attack on the Saudi tanker Sidr while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which resulted in the deaths of members of the tanker’s crew,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.
Bahri said it remains in contact with the vessel and is working with the relevant authorities and maritime industry representatives.
Tehran has previously threatened tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without permission. This creates risks for energy exports from the oil-rich countries of the Gulf.
“The Kingdom stressed the need to halt escalation and to respect international maritime security and the security of global energy supplies,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said.
In July, another Bahri supertanker, the Wedyan, was struck while transiting the strait near the coast of Oman.
In addition, the Bahri Masa and Amzan were attacked in the Red Sea in July and August after Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.
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