Saudi Arabia Formally Blames Iran for Sidr Attack; GCC, Qatar, Jordan Condemn

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry issues a statement condemning "the Islamic Republic of Iran's targeting of the Saudi tanker Sidr while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and the resulting deaths among the tanker's crew" — the first formal Saudi attribution of the Aug 31 strike to Iran. The ministry also condemns Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait and affirms "full support and solidarity" with the three countries. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi calls the tanker attack "a dangerous escalation, a grave violation of international law"; Qatar's foreign ministry calls it a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and Jordan's foreign ministry voices full support for Riyadh. Iran's Revolutionary Guard denies responsibility, claiming the tankers struck mines rather than being attacked directly. Neither Pakistan nor Turkey has yet linked the incident to the Mecca pact's mutual-defense clause.