Rising GPS Disruptions Threaten Maritime Safety Amid US-Israeli Conflict with Iran

Since the onset of US-Israeli military actions against Iran on February 28, over 1,100 ships in the Gulf region have experienced disruptions to their GPS or automatic identification system (AIS) communications, according to Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward. These disruptions have caused ships to appear inaccurately on maps, sometimes even showing them as being located inland, such as at a nuclear power plant.

The situation has prompted maritime officials to warn of a "critical" risk to ships operating in the region, as the conflict has rapidly expanded to involve multiple Middle Eastern countries. At least three tankers have sustained damage amid the ongoing hostilities. Daniel notes that the level of electronic interference, particularly GPS jamming, is significantly higher than usual in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, making navigation increasingly hazardous.

Electronic interference, including jamming and spoofing, has been on the rise in recent years, driven by conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. These attacks can disrupt not only personal devices but also the navigation systems of planes and ships. Jamming involves overwhelming satellite signals to render positioning data unavailable, while spoofing creates false signals that misrepresent an object's location on maps.

Inaccurate location data can lead to ships veering off course, increasing the risk of collisions, groundings, or oil spills. In conflict zones, such interference is often used to disrupt the navigation of drones or missiles that rely on precise location data. Windward's analysis indicates an "escalating" level of electronic interference in the waters of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman since the initial strikes. The majority of this interference has been identified as jamming, with around 21 new clusters of AIS data jamming detected recently.

Ships have been falsely positioned at airports, nuclear power plants, and on Iranian land, posing navigation and compliance risks. AIS signals have also been diverted to the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and nearby waters, while numerous vessels are exhibiting circle-like patterns off UAE, Qatari, and Omani waters.

While GPS and AIS interference in the Strait of Hormuz is not unprecedented, the current situation is exacerbated by the ongoing conflict. In June 2025, similar jamming incidents were reported during missile exchanges between Israel and Iran. Although commercial air travel in the Middle East has largely been grounded, electronic interference has affected aircraft flying in the region, with at least six new spoofing signatures identified. However, the impact on flights has decreased as many have been canceled.

The primary jamming threat currently targets ships in the area. A notice from the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) on March 1 describes the situation as "critical," warning that physical and electronic attacks on ships are "almost certain." The notice highlights significant GNSS interference across the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, and southern Arabian Gulf, resulting in positional offsets, AIS anomalies, and intermittent signal degradation.

As the conflict continues to expand, the likelihood of increased GPS and AIS interference grows. Daniel warns that the larger the radius of these attacks, the greater the jamming, and consequently, the higher the risk to maritime safety.