Clusters containing dozens of vessels each appear to signal positions in and around the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that electronic interference and GPS jamming have soared at the critical oil chokepoint that’s effectively blocked for tanker traffic for more than a week now.
At least a dozen such clusters, some of which numbering more than 200 ships in unnaturally perfect shapes, appear on vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, pointing to intensified interference with positioning signals as the war in the Middle East continues.
The GPS jamming is the latest in a series of concerns for shippers and vessel owners who have been unable to have ships cross either side of the Strait of Hormuz for more than a week, choking global oil and gas supplies and sending energy commodity prices soaring.
“Any vessel navigating the area clearly can’t rely on GPS,” Mark Douglas, a maritime-domain analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence, told Bloomberg.
Related: Little-Known US Company Lands Important Pentagon Contract in Rare Earth Race
Analysts say that both Iran and the U.S. could be using Global Navigation Satellite System or GPS jamming tools in the region.
“Due to operations security we are not going to comment on the status of specific capabilities in the region,” the U.S. Department of War told the BBC, approached to comment on the GPS jamming.
Maritime AI company Windward has identified more than 1,650 vessels experiencing GPS and AIS interference across the Middle East Gulf on March 7, up by 55% from a week ago.
“Ships are falsely positioned across the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf, stretching from Kuwait to Muscat, Oman, adding to already critical navigation and compliance risks,” Windward noted.
Windward has identified at least 30 clusters where ships’ AIS are being jammed, including across the Gulf of Oman, and areas on land and sea within the Gulf, especially near areas where port and facility infrastructure has been attacked or near military bases.
In the latest Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) update on Monday, the center said that “persistent GNSS interference, AIS anomalies, and communications disruption continue to degrade situational awareness and increase navigational risk in congested waters.”
“Mariners continue to report severe GNSS/GPS spoofing, AIS anomalies, and electronic interference that significantly affect navigation and communications reliability,” JMIC said.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
- G7 Nations Delay Strategic Oil Reserve Release Decision
- Why $100 Oil Isn’t Going to Spark a New Shale Boom
- China Boosted Oil Imports Nearly 16% in Early 2026
