According to foreign media reports, over the past week, at least 10 merchant ships from various countries have altered their Automatic Identification System (AIS) information for self-protection, labeling their identities as “Chinese shipowner,” “all Chinese crew,” or “crew members are Chinese.”

Despite some vessels being empty, they still hope to reduce the risk of attack by establishing a connection with China.

On March 4, the “Iron Maiden” successfully transited the strait after modifying its signal to “Chinese owner.”

On the morning of March 7, the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Sino Ocean also broadcast the signal “CHINA OWNER_ALL CREW,” becoming the second vessel to successfully transit the area under the designation “Chinese owner.”

Additionally, the liquefied petroleum gas carrier Bogazici, which transited on February 28, identified itself as “Muslim-owned, Turkish-operated” before resuming its original identification after leaving the danger zone.

Currently, approximately 1,000 merchant vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters, with blocked cargo valued at up to $25 billion.

Beyond altering identities, some vessels have tampered with GPS signals to mislead guided weapons, creating abnormal “dense clusters” of ships visible in satellite imagery.

Kpler analyst Wright noted: “Vessel transponder data can be filled in almost arbitrarily—‘they can put whatever they want.’”

He explained that crew members often use this tactic to conceal their association with specific ports, destinations, or nationalities, “thus carrying a degree of intent to deceive.”

Wright also noted that such practices first emerged during the 2023 Red Sea crisis, when some vessels successfully evaded Houthi threats by falsifying information.

In the current high-risk environment, frontline crew members widely believe that any means to reduce the risk of attack is worth trying, provided it increases the probability of safe passage.