The standoff between the United States and Iran has intensified in the final days of a fragile ceasefire, leaving the Middle East on edge. What began as an effort to pause hostilities has narrowed into a tense diplomatic window, with both sides trading accusations of bad faith. At the centre of the crisis lies the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global trade. Amid this uncertainty, a new threat has emerged: fraudulent messages offering ships ‘safe passage’ through the strait in exchange for cryptocurrency, exposing shipping companies to fresh risks as US–Iran tensions escalate.
