Attacks on GPS Spike Amid US and Israeli War on Iran

Shipping via The Strait of Hormuz – the narrow but vital Middle East oil trade route – has been almost paralyzed since the start of the US and Israel’s war against Iran. Oil tankers in the region have faced military strikes and a surge in GPS jamming attacks, according to a new analysis.

Since the first US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, more than 1,100 ships operating in the Gulf region have had their GPS or automatic identification system (AIS) communications technology disrupted, said Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward. The ships were made to appear as if they were inland on maps, including at a nuclear power plant, the company says.

The analysis comes as maritime officials have warned of a “critical” risk to ships operating in the region and as the initial conflict quickly expanded to involve countries in the Middle East. At least three oil tankers in the region were damaged in the conflict.

“We see a lot of GPS jamming,” says Daniel of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Electronic interference levels are “well above the baseline” of typical interference, he says. “It becomes very dangerous to enter and exit.”

In recent years, attacks on GPS and navigation systems have increased, largely due to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. They can impact people’s phones or devices, but also disrupt the security and navigation systems of planes and ships. Electronic interference mainly comes in two forms: jamming and spoofing. During jamming attacks, satellite signals are overwhelmed, so positioning data is not available. While spoofing can create false signals that cause an object to appear incorrectly on a map, for example making ships appear inland at airports.

Inaccurate location data can lead ships to veer off course, potentially increasing the risks of colliding with other tankers, running aground or causing damaging oil spills. In war zones, electronic interference is often used to try to disrupt the navigation systems of drones or missiles, which may rely on location data to find and hit their targets.

Windward’s analysis of shipping data found there has been an “increasing” level of electronic interference in the waters of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman since the first strikes on February 28. Daniel says the majority of activity identified so far by the company has been jamming rather than identity theft. The company’s analysis says it has identified around 21 “new clusters” where ships’ AIS data has been jammed in recent days.

“The vessels were falsely positioned at airports, at a nuclear power plant, and in Iranian territory, creating navigation and compliance risks,” a company report said. “AIS signals have also been diverted to the Barakah nuclear power plant and nearby waters, while hundreds of other vessels create circular patterns off the waters of the UAE, Qatar and Oman.”

GPS and AIS interference in and around the Strait of Hormuz is not new. In June 2025, as Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire, significant jamming in the region was reported.

While nearly all commercial flights were grounded in the Middle East, signs of electronic interference were seen on planes flying before and near the strikes. “There are at least six new signatures of identity theft in the Middle East,” says Jeremy Bennington, vice president of strategy and innovation for positioning, navigation and timing at technology company Spisent Communications. “Hundreds of flights were affected. However, this figure decreased significantly over the weekend as flights were canceled.”