SINGAPORE: Two supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, according to shipping intelligence and tracking firms Marisks and Kpler.
“The near-simultaneous incidents represent a further escalation in the threat environment within the Omani corridor,” Marisks said.
The tankers each loaded 2 million barrels of Saudi crude at the Juaymah terminal last week, Kpler data showed. Saudi Aramco resumed oil loadings and sales from inside the strait in August.
Iranian and U.S. blockades of the Strait of Hormuz have sharply curbed energy exports from the Gulf as both sides tried to assert their authority over the waterway.
Efforts by mediators including Qatar and Oman to broker a deal to reopen the strait, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran more than six months ago, have so far proven inconclusive.
Oil prices gained on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further strikes against Iran, following the first exchanges of fire since late July.
In the latest attacks on shipping, the Saudi Arabian-flagged very large crude carrier Sidr was struck by unknown projectiles about 16.6 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman at about 1952 UTC (GMT), Marisks said.
Minutes later, the Liberian-flagged VLCC Senegal Prosperity was reportedly struck by three unknown projectiles approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, Marisks said. All crew aboard were reported safe, it added.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported three projectiles striking a tanker in the same location as it sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz, in what appeared to be the same incident.
Bahri, operator of Sidr, and Sinokor, operator of Senegal Prosperity, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media reported that a Saudi oil tanker was stopped while transiting through the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz.
