Ships identify themselves as Chinese around Strait of Hormuz during Iran war to avoid attacks

HONG KONG (AP) — Some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf have declared themselves as China-linked since the Iran war began, marine traffic data show, as their operators apparently try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks.

At least eight vessels in or near the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman changed their declared destination signals to short messages such as “CHINA OWNER” or “CHINA OWNER&CREW,” according to data on the ship tracking platform MarineTraffic analyzed by The Associated Press.

“The main goal of vessels publicly identifying themselves as ‘Chinese’ while transiting the Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz is primarily to reduce the risk of being attacked rather than to facilitate passage through the strait itself,” said Ana Subasic, a trade risk analyst at data and analytics firm Kpler, which owns MarineTraffic.

Some of the vessels passed through the strait and headed for their destinations. Others were still in the area.

Iran and affiliated groups have generally avoided targeting ships linked to China, Subasic said, given China’s relatively neutral stance and stronger economic ties with Iran.

“The message is more like ‘do not mistake me for the kind of ship you said you would hit,’” said Kun Cao, client director at consulting firm Reddal.

Iranian attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf and the wider region have particularly raised concerns among shippers. At least 19 commercial ships around the region had been damaged in the war as of Thursday.

Most of the eight vessels identified by MarineTraffic were not China flagged. Their flag states included Panama and the Marshall Islands, although Reddal’s Cao noted that a vessel’s flag often “has little to do with the ship owner’s nationality” in commercial shipping.

While many bulk carriers have strong links with China in terms of ownership, operation and cargo, the actual effectiveness of declaring themselves as China-linked in avoiding attacks is unclear, said Rico Luman, a senior economist at the Dutch bank ING who focuses on transport and logistics.

Destination signals are short notes or messages manually entered by a ship's crew into a vessel's transponder, a global positioning system locator, and broadcast publicly, Subasic said. They typically show the ship’s intended next port and are usually intended to help with navigation safety, traffic awareness and port planning.

Because destination signals are not strictly verified in real time, “some vessels occasionally use it to display additional information or signals, such as references to ownership or nationality,” she said.

During earlier Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, some vessels adopted a similar approach by declaring themselves or their crew as having links to China, which appeared as an effort to try to reduce risks of attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthis.

A UAE navy ship patrols the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Mina Al Fajer, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Oil tankers and ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

MOSCOW (AP) — A court in Moscow on Thursday convicted 19 people of involvement in the 2024 shooting rampage at a Moscow concert hall that killed 149 people and wounded over 600 in one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in years.

A faction of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the March 22, 2024, massacre at the Crocus City Hall concert venue. Authorities said four gunmen, identified as citizens of Tajikistan, shot people who were waiting for a show by a popular rock band and then set the building on fire.

All 19 defendants were handed lengthy prison terms: 15 received life sentences, one got 22 1/2 years, and three were given 19 years and 11 months each.

Those with life sentences will serve part of them in a prison and the rest in a special regime penal colony, according to the verdict.

They were also ordered to pay fines ranging from 500,000 rubles (about $6,300) to 2.7 million rubles ($34,000).

The trial began in August 2025 in a military court, as is customary for terrorism charges, and took place behind closed doors, with authorities citing security concerns. Three military court judges presided.

President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have claimed, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine had a role in the attack. Kyiv has strongly denied any involvement.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top criminal investigation agency, said the attack was “planned and carried out in the interests of the current leadership of Ukraine in order to destabilize the political situation in our country.”

It also noted the four suspected gunmen tried to flee to Ukraine. They were arrested hours after the attack and later appeared in a Moscow court with signs of being severely beaten.

Those tried alongside them included three men who sold the suspected gunmen a car, a man they rented an apartment from, and 10 others accused of terrorist ties, according to independent Russian news site Mediazona.

Men tried on the charges of involvement in a terror attack at the Crocus City Hall in March 2024, background, listen to the verdict from behind a glass cage at the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Men tried on the charges of involvement in a terror attack at the Crocus City Hall in March 2024, background, listen to the verdict from behind a glass cage at the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Men tried on the charges of involvement in a terror attack at the Crocus City Hall in March 2024, background, listen to the verdict from behind a glass cage as lawyers and journalists stand around at the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Men tried on the charges of involvement in a terror attack at the Crocus City Hall in March 2024 listen to the verdict in a glass cage at the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Men tried on the charges of involvement in a terror attack at the Crocus City Hall in March 2024 listen to the verdict in a glass cage at the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)