Saudi Arabia has condemned what it said was an Iranian attack on a Saudi-owned supertanker that killed two Filipino sailors on Monday night, according to the BBC.
Saudi national shipping company Bahri said its vessel Sidr was “involved in a security incident” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Sidr was hit by projectiles north of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, according to maritime security firms.
Bahri said the incident occurred at around 2340 local time (1940 GMT) on Monday.
“It is with profound sadness that Bahri confirms the loss of two of its Filipino seafarers as a result of the incident,” the company said, adding that it extended its condolences to the sailors’ families, loved ones and colleagues.
The Saudi foreign ministry later condemned what it described as “Iran’s targeting of the Saudi tanker (Sidr) while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz”.
It also condemned recent Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait and called for an end to the escalation, respect for the safety of international navigation, and protection of global energy supplies, national sovereignty and international law.
The statements came a day after maritime risk management and intelligence firms Marisk and Kpler reported that two tankers, each carrying about 2 million barrels of Saudi crude, were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday.
Sidr was struck by “unknown projectiles” at 1952 GMT, about 16 nautical miles (30 km) northeast of Khasab, Oman, while the Senegal Prosperity was struck by “three unknown projectiles” about 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, according to Marisks.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported two incidents in the same area.
The South Korean-owned supertanker Senegal Prosperity was reportedly struck east of the Musandam Peninsula around the same time.
Iran has not responded to the Saudi allegation. Earlier, however, it said two tankers had caught fire after hitting mines while using an unauthorised route through the strait.
The deaths of the sailors came after the U.S. military carried out a wave of air strikes on Iran and Iranian forces targeted U.S. bases in neighbouring Arab states with missiles and drones, in their biggest exchanges of fire since July.
Iran’s health minister said on Wednesday that 18 people had been killed and 108 injured in the U.S. attacks.
Iran has accused the United States of committing a “war crime” in a strike that killed four people, including two children, at a wedding party in the southern city of Sirik.
The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.
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