▲ An oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz (The photo above is not related to the article content.)
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, has condemned what it calls an attack by Iran on a national shipping company oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement released on September 2, local time, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed Iran for the attack the previous night on the Sidr, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) operated by the country's national shipping company, Bahri.
The ministry stated, "All parties must regain calm, halt the escalation, and return to the path of negotiations and peaceful resolution while respecting international law."
According to Bahri, the Sidr was targeted in a security-related attack around 11:40 p.m. local time on September 1 while navigating the Strait of Hormuz near Oman.
The company announced that two crew members of Philippine nationality were killed in the incident.
"We are maintaining communication with the vessel, coordinating closely with relevant authorities and maritime industry stakeholders, and closely monitoring developments," Bahri said.
At the time, two VLCCs carrying Saudi crude were reported to have been attacked in the waters. British daily Financial Times (FT) and other outlets reported the previous day that, alongside the Sidr, the other vessel was the Senegal Prosperity, owned by South Korean shipping company Sinokor Merchant Marine.
According to global shipping data provider Kpler, both vessels had loaded 2 million barrels of crude oil from Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura (Ju'aymah) terminal days prior to the attack.
Earlier, the United States resumed attacks against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz after a month.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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