The Saudi oil tanker SIDR was attacked around 11:40 PM local time (2040 GMT) on August 31, 2026, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of two Filipino sailors, Saudi national shipping company Bahri said [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Bahri confirmed the loss and said it is coordinating with authorities and monitoring the situation closely. "Two of our seafarers, both Filipino nationals, lost their lives as a result of this incident," the company stated [3].
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported the security incident on August 31 evening involving a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, confirming two casualties and advising vessels to transit the area with caution [4].
Greek maritime risk manager Marisks said two oil tankers were hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on the night of August 31 to September 1. Both vessels had loaded about 2 million barrels of crude oil at Saudi Arabia's Juaymah port before the incident [6, 7, 8, 9].
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed on September 2 that two oil tankers struck mines and caught fire after deviating from Iranian-designated routes in the Strait of Hormuz. They said the ships attempted passage through an "illegal route" and triggered explosions and fires, claiming U.S. military urging was involved [7, 9].
Saudi Arabia attributes the attack on SIDR to Iran, though Iran denies an attack and says the damage resulted from mines triggered by the tankers themselves when off route [6, 7, 9, 5].
Bahri vessels have faced other attacks this year, including the Wedyan near Oman in July and Masa and Amzan in the Red Sea amid a Houthi naval blockade declaration [2, 5].
The SIDR tanker is owned by Bahri, Saudi Arabia's national shipping company [1, 2, 8]. While investigations continue, Bahri said it remains in contact with the vessel and maritime industry stakeholders to monitor developments [3].
