Hormuz Chaos: Ships In Gulf Pose As Chinese Vessels To Dodge Iranian Attacks

Data shows that at least 10 ships, including tankers and container vessels, changed their AIS signals between March 1 and March 6, 2026 to dodge Iranian attack. Ships passing through the Gulf have begun declaring themselves as Chinese-owned or Chinese-crewed in an attempt to avoid Iranian attacks during the ongoing war. At least 10 vessels over the past week altered their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals to display messages such as “Chinese Owner”, “All Chinese Crew” or “Chinese Crew Onboard”, states a Financial Times report. The tactic was reported after analysis of MarineTraffic data and was first highlighted by the…