Two Saudi oil tankers were hit by missiles within minutes of each other as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday evening, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“The almost simultaneous incidents represent a further escalation of the threat within the Omani corridor“, shipping risk management company “Marisk“ said.
The tankers loaded 2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil at the Juaima terminal last week, data from the data and analysis platform showed “Kpler“.
Saudi oil company “Saudi Aramco“ resumed loading and selling oil through the strait in August.
Iranian and US blockades of the Strait of Hormuz have sharply curtailed oil exports from the Persian Gulf as both countries have sought to assert their control over the waterway. Efforts by mediators including Qatar and Oman to broker a deal to reopen the strait, through which about a fifth of the world's oil supplies flowed before the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran more than six months ago, have so far proved inconclusive.
Oil prices rose on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further strikes on Iran following the first exchange of fire since late July.
In the latest attacks on vessels, the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Sidr was hit by shells about 16.6 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, at around 7:52 p.m. local time, Marisks reported. Minutes later, the Liberian-flagged VLCC Senegal Prosperity (VLCC Senegal Prosperity) was hit by three shells approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, the company said. All crew are reported to be safe.
The UK's Merchant Marine Operations Agency reported three shells hitting a tanker in the same location as it departed the Strait of Hormuz, in what appears to be the same incident.
Earlier today, Iranian media reported that a Saudi oil tanker had been intercepted while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.