UK Maritime Warning on Strait of Hormuz; Iran: New Routes Illegal

The Joint Maritime Information Centre, has claimed in advisory note No. 013-26 published today (Friday) that the maritime security threat level in this waterway remains “severe.”

 

Claim of expansion of the southern route and Iran’s response

The centre has claimed in its note that the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz has been expanded and is still usable for all ships. However, Iran has stated that the creation of a shipping route in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz was carried out under US pressure on Oman, and that this route is neither safe, permissible nor legal from Iran’s perspective.

 

Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Minister of Legal and International Affairs of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had previously stated that safe passage of vessels must be carried out through the route declared by Iran and within the framework of the arrangements stipulated in the agreement to end the war.

 

The Joint Maritime Information Center has also advised ships to maintain their connection with existing reporting and coordination mechanisms, although it has also claimed that coordination is not mandatory for passage through the southern route.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasized that the security and safety of passage through the Strait of Hormuz must be ensured with respect for the sovereignty, sovereign rights and responsibilities of the competent coastal state, and any mechanism related to safe passage, route determination, operational coordination or technical cooperation in this strategic waterway must be carried out with full coordination and consent of Iran.

 

The Strait of Hormuz, as one of the world’s most important strategic waterways, plays a key role in the transportation of oil and commercial goods. Any tension in this region will have a direct impact on global energy markets and the international economy.

 

According to experts, the announcement of a “severe” threat level by the UK’s Joint Maritime Information Centre and Iran’s simultaneous emphasis on its sovereignty over this waterway indicate continued tensions over determining the permitted routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

 

Studies show that Iran, relying on international law and previous understandings, insists on its sovereign right to determine shipping routes and considers any changes to these routes without coordination with Tehran to be illegal.