Ships anchored in the Gulf or through the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast ties to China in an attempt to avoid Iranian attacks, according to data from the Marine Traffic ship tracker analyzed by Agence France-Presse.
Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway since US and Israeli attacks on it began on February 28, and at least 10 ships have been attacked since then.
But by claiming to have an “all-Chinese crew” on board, or changing their destination to “Chinese ownership”, the ships are aligning themselves with Iran’s most important economic partner, Beijing.
“These appear to be warning signs used by ships trying to reduce the risk of being targeted,” according to Ana Subasic, business risk analyst at Kpler, which owns Maritime Traffic.
That “doesn’t always indicate direct Chinese ownership”, he said.
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The Iran war is sending oil prices up, causing panic buying and rationing in parts of Asia
The Iran war is sending oil prices up, causing panic buying and rationing in parts of Asia
On Monday, the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship Guan Yuan Fu Xing was the latest to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, two days after changing its destiny to “CHINA OWNER” via its AIS transponder.
