Waterway security over shipping via Hormuz frays further

A plan to divert maritime traffic through an alternative corridor off Oman’s coast, intended to reduce exposure to mine threats in the Strait of Hormuz, is facing renewed scrutiny after two recent attacks on vessels in the area. The incidents come despite ongoing diplomatic discussions and underscore the persistent instability in one of the world’s most critical shipping routes, where tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to shape security conditions.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the country’s elite military force, warned last week that only designated maritime routes would be permitted for passage. It stated that ships transiting outside frameworks set by Iran would not be guaranteed safe passage.

In the following days, Iran reportedly carried out two attacks on vessels in the strait. Although Washington and Tehran have since reached understandings aimed at halting further escalation, an analysis of the current transport conditions through the Strait of Hormuz by France24 points out that commercial shipping through the waterway remains disrupted.

The Strait of Hormuz—long treated as an international shipping artery—lies within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. While a central navigation corridor has traditionally been used for transit, ships have also increasingly relied on an alternative route closer to Oman’s coastline.

“This stretch of water off Oman already existed, but it was rarely used because it runs along the coastline and poses greater safety risks,” Dirk Siebels, a maritime security analyst at Risk Intelligence, told the French outlet. “If something goes wrong on board—engine failure, steering failure—you are close to shore and have little room to manoeuvre.”

Under normal conditions, traffic through the strait follows a Traffic Separation Scheme established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1968, which functions as a regulated maritime corridor with separate lanes for inbound and outbound vessels.

Siebels described it as “a sort of maritime motorway in the middle of the strait,” designed to reduce collision risks in a narrow passage that is only about 33 kilometres wide at its tightest point.

However, according to reports, the central corridor has become effectively unusable due to restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities, who now require vessels to use routes closer to their coastline and under their supervision.

Beyond navigation constraints, concern has also grown over the possible presence of naval mines in the area.

On June 24, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez warned that authorities had received information suggesting mines may be present in key shipping lanes, adding that any clearance effort could involve more than 80 devices.

“No one is in a position to say whether this is true or false,” Siebels noted. “But it is enough to create uncertainty, and that alone can deter shipping. In any case, clearance would need to come first.”

Tehran fires back at Macron's initiative

Efforts to address maritime security in the strait have intensified internationally. France recently announced plans to work with Oman to help clear mines and secure safe passage through the corridor.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the initiative aimed to “secure maritime routes and guarantee free and unconditional passage through the Strait” through mine clearance and coordinated international support.

The proposal drew a sharp response from Tehran. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi insisted that under existing understandings, “demining is carried out solely by Iran and by no other country.”

Shifting traffic patterns

According to Siebels, traffic along the Omani coastal route had been increasing in recent months, with around 20 ships using it in May and early June, rising to roughly 60 according to IMO estimates.

The alternative corridor was also intended to provide an exit route for thousands of vessels previously constrained within the Gulf. However, a UN-backed plan to facilitate wider movement through dual coastal lanes has since been suspended following renewed attacks on a cargo ship near Oman.

Under a memorandum of understanding reached last week between Tehran and Washington, Iran agreed to carry out mine-clearing operations within 30 days. Meanwhile, France and the United Kingdom had been preparing to lead a coalition of around 40 countries to support demining and maritime security operations.

Despite these efforts, the question of control over the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved, continuing to serve as a major flashpoint between Iran and the United States and a central factor in ongoing diplomatic tensions.

By Nazrin Sadigova