‘No link Israel’: vessels near Strait of Hormuz signal nationalities to deter attacks
Middle East maritime threat still elevated as Israel-Iran ceasefire remains fragile
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz have been broadcasting unusual messages concerning nationality in a bid to avoid being attacked as doubts linger over the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, according to maritime risk analytics firm Windward and ship tracking data on Thursday.
The signals have been used since conflict broke out between Israel and Iran early this month, which led the US to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire after 12 days of war but the maritime threat remains elevated, the Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) said.
“The perception among shipowners is that due to the convoluted nature of shipping it’s hard to know or ascertain clearly a chain of ownership to nationalities which may be under higher threat in shipping, namely the UK, US and Israel,” said Ami Daniel, chief executive officer of Windward.
Fifty-five vessels transmitted 101 atypical messages across the Gulf and Red Sea from June 12-24, Windward said, including “China owned” and “Russian crude”, in the hope of preventing attacks because those countries are less likely to be targeted than Western ships.
Commercial maritime traffic surged 30 per cent on June 24, the day after the ceasefire, according to the JMIC. Roughly a fifth of the world’s fuel and oil consumption moves through the Strait of Hormuz.