GPS under fire: navigation chaos in the Iran conflict

GPS signals were jammed and spoofed after the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran, causing vessels to report false positions (even as if at airports or on land) and disrupting navigation for more than 1,100 commercial ships across UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Iranian waters. Windward and Lloyd’s List Intelligence logged thousands of GPS-interference events, with AIS going dark or showing ships off course in the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption risks extend to aviation and civilian commerce, prompting calls for anti-spoofing tech, signal encryption, and reliance on alternative navigation methods—some of which, like quantum navigation, are still in development—marking a real-world test of maritime navigation resilience in conflict.”,