The Financial Times (FT) reported on the 6th that more ships passing through the Gulf and nearby waters are disguising themselves as Chinese vessels to avoid Iranian attacks.
Analyzing data from MarineTraffic, a maritime traffic data platform, FT found that at least 10 ships in the past week changed the destination signals entered in their automatic identification system (transponder) to phrases such as "Chinese shipowner," "all Chinese crew," and "Chinese crew on board."
According to the Lloyd's Market Association (LMA), a British maritime insurance industry group, about 1,000 ships are effectively stranded in the Gulf and adjacent waters. Iran has attacked civilian vessels not only in the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf but also in waters near Kuwait.
A ship's transponder signal is generally managed by the captain and used to communicate with nearby vessels to prevent collisions, and the destination entry can be easily modified.
The types of ships that changed signals range from container ships to tankers, and both fully laden vessels and those in ballast are mixed, FT said. For example, a ship named "Iron Maiden" changed its signal to "Chinese shipowner" while speeding through the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th and kept it that way until it reached waters near Oman, then switched it back.
On the 28th, when the war began, a fuel tanker named "Bogazici" entered "Muslim ship Türkiye" into its transponder while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, then restored the original name after reaching safer waters.
Some ships are also reported to be using a deception tactic of manipulating GPS signals to confuse weapons detection. Such vessels appear clumped together and overlapping on shipping data platforms, TankerTrackers said.
Matthew Wright, an analyst at the shipping data platform Kep1er, said the practice first appeared in the Red Sea in 2023 when Yemen's Houthi rebels began attacking commercial vessels.
FT said, "It is unclear whether Iranian forces or their proxies actually treat ships claiming links to China differently," but added, "The crews appear willing to try anything if it can reduce the risk of becoming a target."