Saudi Supertanker SIDR Hit by Three Projectiles Exiting the Strait of Hormuz

Three projectiles struck Saudi supertanker SIDR as it exited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, August 31.

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning after the tanker reported the strikes, which occurred 17 nautical miles east of Khasab in Oman's Musandam Peninsula. No casualties. No environmental impact.

SIDR is a VLCC operated by Bahri, the state-linked Saudi National Shipping Company. At 300,759 deadweight tonnes, it ranks among the largest oil tankers in active service. Tracking data on MarineRadar showed a sharp spike in lookups for SIDR in the 48 hours surrounding the attack.

The strike came a day after US forces bombed Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island. That strike, reported August 30, targeted Iranian launchers on Larak Island in direct response to tanker attacks in the strait. The SIDR attack suggests the campaign against commercial shipping had not been disrupted.

Only five tankers transited the strait that day, down from a 14-tanker 10-day average. Operators have been pulling routes away from the corridor, and traffic is running far below its normal pace.

UKMTO had issued a warning the previous week after a tanker was struck near the Hormuz entrance. The recurrence of strikes at the same chokepoint suggests deliberate targeting.

Responsibility for the SIDR attack was not officially attributed. US Central Command said it was aware. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps offered a different account, claiming the tanker had struck mines rather than projectiles. That version was not supported by UKMTO or other reporting.

The area east of Khasab is a pressure point. Outbound tankers must pass close to Qeshm Island and the Omani enclave at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, where the navigable corridor narrows sharply. Large VLCCs have limited room to manoeuvre.

Bahri had not commented publicly on the condition of SIDR at the time of writing.