Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analysed by AFP.

A closure of the Strait of Hormuz would send shock waves through global energy markets, but the pain would be felt most acutely in Asia.

Chinese energy supplies are being held hostage to war despite Beijing's ties with Tehran. Ships are attempting to exit the Persian Gulf while displaying their Chinese management identity.

China has called for security to be ensured in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel war with Iran and its regional repercussions. Energy security is vital for the global

China is actively pressuring Iranian officials to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for oil and LNG transit following threats from Iran to close the vital energy shipping route.

If the Strait of Hormuz were to close amid escalating regional conflict, the consequences would reverberate far beyond the Middle East. For China,

The war has left the critical shipping passageway all but shut, with Iran having moved to paralyze shipping through the Strait. China is in talks with Iran to allow crude oil and Qatari liquefied

The price of crude oil has sharply spiked as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed as the United States and Israel wage war on Iran.

For India and China, the stakes are particularly high because both economies rely heavily on imported crude to sustain industrial activity and economic growth.

Another bulk carrier signaled it was Chinese-owned as it sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf that's been effectively closed for a week due to multiple attacks in the area.

China faces severe oil crisis as Strait of Hormuz traffic halts, threatening the nation's economy within two months. Expert warns of "real problems."