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Ships navigate the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, on July 12 (local time). / Photo courtesy of Reuters via Yonhap News Agency

The southern shipping lane in the Strait of Hormuz remains open despite Iran's declaration of a total blockade on July 12 (local time), a maritime advisory organization stated.

The Bahrain-based Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a U.S.-led multinational maritime monitoring agency, announced that the transit route running along the Omani coast within the Strait of Hormuz remains navigable, Bloomberg reported.

However, the JMIC emphasized that the threat level in the strait remains severe, advising ship captains to maintain continuous radio communication with naval forces and stay vigilant against potential risks posed by naval mines.

Following a cessation of hostilities memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last month, the United States and Iran had permitted transit through both the northern shipping lane along the Iranian coast and the southern lane along the Omani coast.

Bloomberg analyzed that the peace agreement is facing a renewed test as Iran recently resumed attacks targeting U.S. allies—including Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman—prompting the U.S. military to carry out retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian targets.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared on July 12 that it would bar any vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz until foreign intervention in the region ceases, accusing the United States of attempting to manufacture chaos.

On the day of the announcement, only two petroleum product tankers were observed approaching the shipping channels, with overall maritime traffic described as virtually at a standstill.

Meanwhile, Iran's state-run IRIB news agency reported that despite previous warnings issued by the IRGC, Iranian forces fired warning shots at a cargo vessel attempting to transit the strait on July 11 and subsequently halted its operations.

                                                                                                            Kim Hyun-min