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Hormuz tanker deaths
Saudi Arabia condemned an Iranian attack on an oil tanker owned by its national shipping company that resulted in the deaths of two citizens of the Philippines, with the Saudi Foreign Ministry saying Iran targeted the Sidr tanker owned by Bahri while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz two days earlier.
“Saudi Arabia has condemned an Iranian attack on an oil tanker”
The BBC reported that Centcom said it “never targets civilians” while Iran accused the US of a “war crime” after a missile strike killed four people including two children at a wedding in Kuhestak, in Sirik, in southern Iran.
Bahri said the vessel SIDR was involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, and the company said it was coordinating with relevant authorities and maritime industry stakeholders while continuing to monitor developments.
Kuwait and Qatar condemned the attack as violating international law and freedom of maritime navigation, with Qatar calling it a “flagrant violation of the rules of international law and freedom of maritime navigation” and Doha rejecting the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a “bargaining chip.”
Competing claims and strikes
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers caught fire after striking mines while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while the BBC described Iran’s accusation that a US strike killed four at a wedding and Centcom’s response that it “never targets civilians.”
In Sirik, the BBC quoted Ali Mallahi, the father of the bride and owner of the building, saying, "Unfortunately, this is a residential building. And unfortunately, this happened during my daughter's wedding ceremony," as Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the incident a "war crime".
The BBC also reported that in response to the wedding strike, Iran launched missiles and drones at US targets in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain, and that most of the drones and missiles were reportedly intercepted.
The BBC said Centcom warned that strikes on Iran followed “recent attempted attacks” by the IRGC against American forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and it added that the Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned operations would continue until the US “regrets” its crimes.
What’s at stake next
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz is tied to wider pressure on shipping and energy flows, with the BBC saying Centcom described the waterway as crucial and through it “around 20% of global oil and gas shipments usually pass.”
“through which around 20% of global oil and gas shipments usually pass”
The National reported that at least 70 ship attacks have been verified since the conflict began in February, with 19 seafarers killed as of August 28, and it said crossings through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply with only five vessels transiting on Tuesday compared with 25 the previous Thursday.
The National also quoted IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez saying, “Thousands of seafarers in the region continue to live and work under conditions of heightened risk and uncertainty,” as it warned that disruptions to supply chains have consequences for communities and economies around the world.
In parallel, the BBC said the Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned operations against American forces would continue until the US “regrets” its crimes, while the Al Jazeera report said Washington promised to continue its counter-blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely.