Maritime security update: Gulf Region / Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea in Marine Insurance P&I Club News 12/06/2026 The operating environment across the Gulf region remains highly constrained, but the past week has brought two important shifts. First, transit through the Strait of Hormuz is increasingly being managed through a model of coordinated passage rather than physical escort. Secondly, the Red Sea threat picture has sharpened again following the Houthis’ announcement on 8 June that they have reinstated their ban on Israeli shipping. Recent reporting from JMIC suggests that the immediate risk picture in the Strait has stabilised somewhat compared with the peak disruption phase, although the environment remains severe and highly sensitive to miscalculation, navigation interference and blockade-enforcement activity. In parallel, Risk Intelligence assesses that the broader strategic picture has not improved materially, with the United States and Iran continuing to exchange strikes while remaining entrenched in their respective positions. Strait of Hormuz: severe, and no return to normality The most material change in official reporting is that JMIC’s 7 June update reduced the regional threat level from CRITICAL to SEVERE, and also reduced the Strait of Hormuz from CRITICAL to SEVERE, explicitly citing the number of safe transits conducted via the southern route through Omani territorial waters. At the same time, JMIC continues to state that navigation interference, blockade-enforcement activity and mine-risk reporting remain relevant within and adjacent to the traffic separation scheme. That reduction should not be read as a return to normal operating conditions. Traffic remains far below historical norms. JMIC’s 7 June advisory records only 6 transits on 4 June, 4 on 5 June and 3 on 6 June, against a historical average of around 138 vessels per day. It also continues to report persistent GNSS interference across the Strait approaches, the Gulf of Oman an