U.S. forces say the southern channel of the Strait of Hormuz is still open

On 12 July, the United States-led Joint Maritime Information Centre issued a 12-day circular stating that, despite Iran ' s claim that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed, the southern channel, close to the Omani side, was still operational and was available for two-way passage. It was reported that the level of threat to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz remains “serious”. Xinhua