Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned an Iranian attack on an oil tanker owned by its national shipping company, which resulted in the deaths of two crew members from the Philippines. The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday that Iran targeted the Sidr tanker, operated by the national carrier Bahri, as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz two days prior.

The incident occurs amidst the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies, with approximately 20 percent of the world's oil passing through it before the conflict. The attack highlights the escalating tensions and risks to maritime navigation in the region.

The Saudi foreign ministry emphasized the "necessity of halting escalations, and respecting international maritime safety and the security of global energy supplies" in its statement. Bahri also confirmed the deaths on social media, stating that its vessel SIDR "was involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz" late on Monday.

Regional neighbours Kuwait and Qatar also condemned the attack, with their foreign ministries calling it a violation of international law and freedom of maritime navigation. Qatar specifically rejected the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a "bargaining chip," underscoring the strategic importance of the waterway.

Unidentified projectiles struck two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Monday into Tuesday, according to Marisks, a Greek maritime risk management firm. Both vessels had loaded two million barrels of crude oil from Juaymah on Saudi Arabia's east coast the previous week, data from Kpler indicated. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported on Wednesday that two oil tankers caught fire after striking mines while transiting the strait.

Iran has a history of attacking and threatening tankers attempting to navigate the strategic waterway without authorization, disrupting energy exports from Gulf nations. In July, another Bahri vessel, the Wedyan supertanker, was reportedly hit while passing through the strait, indicating a pattern of incidents.

The United States has maintained that maritime traffic can transit the waterway safely, despite a considerable slowdown in traffic. Washington has pledged to continue its "counter-blockade" of Iranian ports indefinitely, signaling its commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation.

This latest attack underscores the precarious security situation in the Persian Gulf and raises further concerns about the safety of international shipping lanes. The ongoing conflict continues to impact regional stability and global energy markets, with unresolved questions remaining about future escalations and de-escalation efforts.