Since the U.S. has launched military action against Venezuela, the Security Bureau reminds Hong Kong residents who plan to travel to Venezuela or have already been there to be vigilant about their safety and the situation.
The Security Bureau, Photo by Bastille Post
The Security Bureau stated that Venezuela was not included in the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) System. Nevertheless, considering the latest situation in the country, the Security Bureau has updated the relevant information about Venezuela on the OTA webpage to remind Hong Kong residents who plan to travel to Venezuela or have already been there to be vigilant and avoid gathering places where protesters or crowds are present.
The Immigration Department, Photo source: reference image
The Immigration Department stated that after learning about the military action, the Department immediately obtained an update from the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic Bolivariana of Venezuela, and the Travel Industry Authority. To date, the Immigration Department has not received any requests for assistance from Hong Kong residents.
The Immigration Department stated that if the Hong Kong residents in Venezuela need assistance, they can call the 24-hour assistance hotline of the "the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit" of the Immigration Department: (852) 1868.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reminds Chinese citizens not to travel to Venezuela recently. As for those already in Venezuela, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they should keep a close eye on the local security situation, enhance preventive measures and emergency preparations, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay away from conflict or sensitive areas.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s joint military command warned Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or face a “forceful response,” ratcheting up tensions again over a waterway crucial for international energy supplies.
The strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, has emerged as one of the top issues in negotiations seeking a permanent end to the Iran war. The statement from the Khatam al-Anbiya military command, reported by Iranian state television, comes after both U.S. and Iranian diplomats met with mediators Wednesday in Qatar.
It wasn’t clear what sparked the threat from Iran. However, the U.S. military's Central Command had put out a statement about a meeting with officials from Mideast nations in Bahrain that said “leaders underscored their shared commitment to the free flow of commerce through" the strait.
That could have been the phrase that angered Iran, which is preparing for the funeral that begins this weekend for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the war's first moments in February.
“Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels,” the Iranian statement said.
It also said that interference by U.S. forces in the strait “will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction.”
Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, upending decades of practice in the waterway.
The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they won’t agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait. An effort by Oman and a United Nations agency to launch a new route near Oman’s shore sparked attacks across the Mideast last weekend, highlighting the tensions.
Despite the attacks, ship traffic in the strait continued to rebound. At least 258 ships transited the waterway last week, a period that included Iranian strikes on two commercial vessels, according to marine data and analysis company Lloyd’s List Intelligence. That’s up from 138 ships the previous week.
Iran's attacks on June 25 and 27 “seem to have been forgotten,” Richard Meade, editor-in-chief at Lloyd’s, said Thursday during a webinar.
Traffic in the strait has slowed somewhat since the strikes and remains far below levels seen before the war, when about 130 vessels passed through daily. And with ship operators having to choose between complying with Iran's demands or braving the route off Oman watched by U.S. forces, “nothing about this situation is stable,” Meade said.
“Routes are being chosen on an hour-by-hour basis ... and they are contingent on shifting political approvals and real-time security assessments," he said. “This is not the new normal.”
Earlier this week, Iranian state television reported that a foreign ship got stuck in the strait after ignoring instructions from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. However, the vessel’s shape, reported location and other details indicate the ship is tied to Iran and appears to have been stranded for months.
Despite the tensions, Wednesday's talks saw “positive progress,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said. He told journalists that Pakistan hoped the next round of talks would be scheduled as soon as possible after Khamenei’s funeral.
McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.
This frame grab of footage aired Wednesday, July 1, 2026, by Iranian state television shows a vessel that ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz. (Iranian state television via AP)
Two boys stand in shallow water with foam floats as cargo ships and other vessels are seen in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Children wade in the water with cargo ships at anchor in the background and a fisherman nearby, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
A group of people stands in shallow water as a cargo ship appears anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Commercial vessels are seen in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
