Iran has caused sharply reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as it pushes back against the United States and Israel. Traffic through the waterway has plunged since the war began two weeks ago. The strait normally carries about 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil.
Since the conflict started, at least 19 commercial ships have been damaged in attacks in the region. Only a handful of non-Iranian vessels have managed to pass through.
Some ships have even declared themselves Chinese-owned or Chinese-crewed—real or fake—in an attempt to avoid being targeted.
But one of the latest targets was a Chinese-owned cargo ship named Source Blessing. It was hit in the early hours of Thursday near the strait. In other words, saying a ship is “China-owned” doesn’t guarantee it’s fully secure.