After the Chinese "Iron Lady", another cargo ship passes through Hormuz! At least 10 merchant ships follow suit, disguising as "Chinese-flagged"

When the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to single digits, the Chinese cargo ship "Iron Maiden" broadcast “China Owner” and successfully passed through the strait. According to Liberation Daily, on March 5, Beijing time, a bulk carrier named "Iron Maiden" (signal: “China Owner”) smoothly crossed the Strait of Hormuz along the coast of Oman, becoming a rare case under the current situation. On the morning of March 7, another Liberian bulk carrier "Sino Ocean" (under China COSCO Shipping Group) also successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz. When passing through the narrowest channel of the strait, the ship broadcasted the signal “CHINA OWNER_ALL CREW,” becoming the second ship after "Iron Maiden" to transit with the “Chinese shipowner” identifier. This trend appears to be rapidly spreading in the commercial shipping industry. Recent media statistics show that at least 10 ships have changed the “destination” signal of their AIS identification system (transponder) to “Chinese shipowner,” “all Chinese crew,” or “Chinese crew onboard.” Currently, about 1,000 ships are stranded in the Gulf and surrounding waters, with a total value of approximately $25 billion. "Iron Maiden" leads the way, "Sino Ocean" follows closely According to Liberation Daily, data from Ship Vision shows that "Iron Maiden" departed from Zhenjiang, China on November 15, 2025, and has since made multiple round trips between Qatar’s Umm Said port and the UAE’s Jebel Ali port, transporting cargo such as raw sugar and iron ore, frequently operating in the Persian Gulf in the second half of last year and early this year. The most recent unloading was raw sugar at Jebel Ali on March 2, Beijing time, serving Al Khaleej Sugar—the Middle East’s sugar giant based in Dubai. On March 5, Iron Maiden changed its transponder signal to “China Owner” and smoothly passed the strait along the Omani coast. Ship tracking data shows that Iron Maiden headed towards the Strait of Hormuz from March 4th, and successfully passed the southern Dibba point between 7 to 8 a.m. on the 5th. Following Iron Maiden, the Liberian bulk carrier "Sino Ocean" became the second ship to adopt the same strategy. When crossing the narrowest part of this globally vital maritime energy channel, the ship continuously broadcasted “CHINA OWNER_ALL CREW.” Iron Maiden’s operator, Xingda Shipping (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., CEO Yang Xintian stated that for now, no response will be given regarding Iron Maiden’s related issues, but further details will be made public to the media and the public in the future. According to Liberation Daily, on March 6, reporters visited Xingda Shipping’s office at Zhiyouxu Plaza, Zhangyang Road, Pudong, Shanghai. After contacting administrative personnel, Yang Xintian reaffirmed the aforementioned stance. At least 10 commercial ships disguise as Chinese to survive Media reports quoting Marine Traffic data analysis indicate that in the past week, at least 10 ships have changed their transponder signals, claiming an association with China. These ships vary in type, including container ships and tankers, some loaded with cargo, others empty. Matthew Wright, an analyst at shipping data company Kpler, said, "They can change almost anything, whatever they want to put in. Crew are trying to hide any links to certain ports, destinations, or nationalities, and there is a degree of deception involved.” He pointed out that this risk-avoidance by identity disguise is not new, first seen during Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea in 2023. Additionally, last Saturday, the LPG carrier "Bogazici" broadcast itself as “Muslim-owned, Turkish-operated” when transiting, only reverting to its original name after leaving dangerous waters. "Iron Maiden" is still an isolated case; many ships remain on standby Although Iron Maiden successfully passed through the strait, Liberation Daily reported on the afternoon of March 7 that this case still remains rare, with no more Chinese cargo ships following suit at this time. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) reported on March 6 that the Strait of Hormuz had only two confirmed commercial passages in the past 24 hours, both being cargo ships, not tankers, and the traffic has dropped to single digits. Lloyd’s Market Association data shows that about 1,000 ships, with a total value of around $25 billion, remain trapped in the Gulf and nearby waters, with most still waiting and observing. Risk Disclaimer The market is risky, so invest with caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the individual investment goals, financial situation, or needs of any specific user. Users should consider whether any opinions, viewpoints, or conclusions in this article suit their particular situation. Investment based on this is at your own risk.