On September 1, two supertankers transporting Saudi oil were reportedly struck by unidentified projectiles while navigating outbound through the Strait of Hormuz. This incident was documented by shipping intelligence firms Marisks and Kpler, highlighting an increase in threats in the region. The tankers had loaded roughly 2 million barrels of Saudi crude from the Juaymah terminal in the previous week.
Recent geopolitical tensions have intensified along the Strait, as Iranian and U.S. forces have limited energy exports amidst efforts to assert control over this critical waterway. Despite ongoing mediation attempts by Qatar and Oman to broker a reopening of the strait—responsible for about 20% of the global oil supply before military actions escalated—no successful resolutions have emerged to date.
Following these attacks, oil prices experienced an uptick amidst announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding possible further operations against Iran. The Saudi-flagged tanker Sidr and the Liberian-registered Senegal Prosperity were both reportedly hit within minutes of each other, though all crew members were reported safe. UK maritime monitors confirmed the strikes coincided with another account of projectiles impacting a tanker in the area. Operators Bahri and Sinokor have not yet responded to inquiries.
