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2026-07-14 00:24:10
[Iran Declares Southern Strait of Hormuz "Unsafe"] The Iranian Embassy in the UK stated on social media on the 13th that the southern channel of the Strait of Hormuz is "unsafe, unreliable, and prone to accidents." The Iranian ambassador to the UK also serves as Iran's permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The embassy stated that to comply with the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, Iran has established a temporary maritime security corridor without technical or military obstacles, and has informed the IMO. However, "the United States is leading ships towards a dangerous parallel southern channel. This route is not only questionable in its legality but also unsafe, unreliable, and prone to accidents." The embassy added that US attacks on Iranian ports and other "military acts of aggression" have made the Strait of Hormuz a highly tense and high-risk area. Following the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, the strait was divided into two channels: the northern channel controlled by Iran and the southern channel closer to Oman, with the US military providing navigational assistance in the southern channel. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced early on the 12th local time that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed immediately until further notice and the United States ceases its interference in the region, due to the insecurity caused by illegal interference by foreign forces. The U.S. Central Command posted on social media on the morning of the 12th, U.S. Eastern Time, that "passage through the Strait of Hormuz continues." Iran does not control the strait. (Xinhua)
