London: After Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz—described as the only sea route for crude oil shipments out of West Asia—several cargo vessels are attempting to avoid attacks by presenting themselves as Chinese-linked ships.
The report said Iran, following a war with the United States, has shut the strait near its coastline. As a result, more than 1,000 ships carrying crude oil and other cargo worth about Rs 2 lakh crore are stranded in the Gulf region.
Iran has announced it will not target crude oil tankers bound for China, citing China’s support through supplying weapons for the war. This has led to ships from various countries being operated through the Strait of Hormuz under claims such as being “Chinese-owned” or having Chinese crews.
A private firm that analyses shipping-traffic data said the conflict has prompted some vessels to broadcast information suggesting links to China. Over the past week, more than 10 ships reportedly changed their automatic identification system (AIS) signals to appear China-related.
Following this, vessels were seen carrying boards stating messages such as “Chinese owner ship,” “Chinese crew,” and “all staff are Chinese” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the report added.
