A wave of electronic interference swept across the Middle East on February 28, disrupting navigation systems on more than 1,100 commercial ships in the aftermath of U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, maritime security firm Windward reported.
The interference, which occurred within a single 24-hour period, caused Global Positioning System (GPS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals to display false positions. Vessels appeared to be located on land at an Iranian nuclear power plant, near airports, and across Iranian territory, exposing them to significant navigation hazards and heightened collision risks.
According to an analysis published March 1, Windward detected at least 21 new clusters of signal jamming across waters belonging to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Iran. The company noted that this surge in interference appeared to involve broad jamming affecting all traffic in impacted zones rather than targeted GPS manipulation by individual ships.
Experts at the Royal Institute of Navigation suggested neighboring nations might be behind the disruption as a defensive measure against potential Iranian retaliatory strikes. “This is widespread, intentional interference that creates serious safety risks, including higher collision risk and false alerts about where ships are and what they’re doing,” Windward warned in its assessment.
Such large-scale jamming typically relies on ground-based transmitters that overwhelm legitimate satellite signals. In more advanced instances, these systems can redirect vessels’ AIS positions onto terrestrial locations, mirroring the recent episode.
The incident marks a dramatic escalation in electronic warfare tactics in the volatile Gulf region. Similar jamming patterns had previously been observed in the Baltic, Black, and Red Seas, but never with such intensity or geographic scope in such a short timeframe, Windward emphasized.
Lloyd’s issued a separate analysis on March 2, revealing roughly 600 cargo ships appeared off the UAE coast, over 80 off Iran, about 50 near Oman, and approximately 10 off Qatar as a result of the spoofing.
This event underscores growing navigation risks for commercial shipping as regional tensions continue to fuel hybrid warfare tactics targeting vital maritime infrastructure.