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The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning Iran’s targeting of the Saudi tanker Wedyan as it transited the Strait of Hormuz along with the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat. The ministry stressed that these unacceptable attacks constitute an assault on the security and safety of international navigation as well as the security of global energy supplies. It affirmed that Iran’s continued launching of these attacks constitutes a grave violation of international law and norms and UN Security Council Resolution 2817 which guarantees freedom of navigation and safe passage through maritime routes.
The ministry reiterated its call on Iran to immediately cease all actions that threaten regional security, international maritime safety and energy supplies while adding that Iran bears full responsibility for these attacks and all their damage and repercussions. Maritime reports indicated three vessels came under strike in the waterway on July 7 with the Qatari LNG carrier Al Rekayyat hit on its port side and placed at risk of explosion due to an engine room fire. The Wedyan sustained damage off the Omani coast but initial accounts reported no casualties aboard the Saudi-owned ultra-large crude carrier.
According to the Saudi Press Agency the statement placed these incidents in the context of repeated Iranian actions that undermine efforts to restore stability across the region. The ministry expressed the Kingdom’s position that such violations cannot be tolerated and require full adherence to international laws protecting commercial shipping. UK Maritime Trade Operations separately tracked a subsequent drone strike on another vessel that caused minor damage allowing it to proceed to its next port.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a vital artery for global energy with assessments from the US Energy Information Administration showing that roughly one fifth of the world’s petroleum liquids consumption transits the passage each year. Recent strikes have driven sharp increases in oil prices and prompted vessels to shift toward alternative northern routes in the days prior to the attacks. Maritime security firms reported that both targeted tankers were operating dark at the time of the incidents along an approved outbound corridor.
Bahri the Saudi national shipping company confirmed that one of its vessels was involved in a security incident in the strait during the same period. The firm offered no immediate additional details on the Wedyan’s condition or operational impact. International authorities responded by elevating the threat level for shipping in the area to severe following the cluster of strikes.
These events unfolded against a backdrop of fragile regional ceasefires and prior Iranian actions that drew parallel condemnations from Saudi Arabia including strikes linked to Kuwait and Bahrain in late June. The ministry has repeatedly expressed solidarity with affected neighboring states and urged de-escalation through peaceful negotiations. Saudi Arabia continues to stress the shared responsibility for maintaining security in the waterway that serves as a critical conduit for energy exports.
