Saudi Arabia has condemned an Iranian attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz that killed two Filipino sailors, marking one of the most serious incidents in the waterway since the US-Israel war on Iran began six months ago.
The attack underscores the continuing danger to commercial shipping through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, despite US claims of having cleared transit lanes of sea mines. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed two oil tankers had hit mines and were disabled while trying to cross what it called an ‘illegal route’ in the strait.
The incident comes amid competing claims about the strait’s status. The US says shipping has significantly increased, with officials claiming 40 commercial ships carrying 18 million barrels of oil passed through under US military escort. However, ship-tracking data from Kpler and Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows far fewer transits, averaging just 12 to 13 vessels per day.
Saudi Arabia’s condemnation adds to the diplomatic pressure on Iran from Gulf states. The kingdom has sought to maintain stability in the waterway, which handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas during peacetime. Before the war, approximately 100 ships and 20 million barrels of oil passed through daily. That has fallen to an average of seven vessels since March, according to PortWatch data.
The attack on the Saudi tanker illustrates the human cost of the continuing crisis. The two Filipino sailors killed were among the thousands of seafarers who crew the vessels transiting the strait, many from Southeast Asian countries that have been hit hard by the disruption to Gulf energy shipments.
The Joint Maritime Information Center has classified the risk level for Hormuz as ‘severe,’ citing a continued risk of drifting or uncharted mines despite US claims to have cleared the strait. The advisory noted that commercial traffic remains ‘far below baseline’ even with a modest recent uptick.
For Gulf states, the continuing instability in the strait poses an existential economic challenge. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and other Gulf producers depend on the waterway for the bulk of their energy exports. The UAE has developed the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, beyond the strait, as an alternative export route, and Asian countries are exploring storage deals at Fujairah and other locations outside the chokepoint.
The incident also highlights the growing toll on Gulf shipping. Insurance costs for vessels transiting the strait have surged since the war began, and many shipping companies have rerouted vessels or suspended Gulf services entirely. The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners has warned of a growing reluctance among seafarers to crew vessels in the region.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Joint Maritime Information Center
