Ships Brandish China-Links to Weave Through Strait of Hormuz

The vessel Lng Dubhe, a LNG tanker sailing under the flag of Hong Kong, leaves the Port of Bilbao after her stopover at the Bizkaia Bay Gas (BBG) regasification plant in the Spanish Basque city of Zierbena on March 9, 2026. Photo by ANDER GILLENEA / AFP

Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analyzed by AFP.

Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway since U.S.-Israeli strikes on it began on February 28, and at least 10 vessels have been attacked since.

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by Agence France-Presse

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