Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of attacking one of its supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two Filipino crew members, as tensions in the region escalate sharply. The Saudi shipping company Bahri confirmed its vessel Sidr was hit while transiting the strait on Monday night, and the Saudi foreign ministry condemned the strike along with recent Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, calling for an end to escalation and respect for freedom of navigation. Iran has not directly responded to the Saudi allegation, instead claiming two tankers caught fire after striking mines while using an "unauthorised route".

The incident occurred as the US carried out fresh air strikes on Iran and Iranian forces hit US bases in the region with missiles and drones, marking their biggest exchange since July. Maritime security firms reported that Sidr and a South Korean-owned tanker, Senegal Prosperity, were both struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other near Oman's Musandam Peninsula, each carrying around two million barrels of Saudi crude. The Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, has been effectively closed since February's outbreak of war between the US, Israel and Iran; a June ceasefire attempt collapsed within weeks, and Iran continues to target vessels using a southern route through Omani waters that bypasses its own territorial waters.