GPS Jamming Sparks Hidden Maritime Risk in the Gulf

GPS jamming off Iran is creating AIS position distortions near the Strait of Hormuz, making vessels appear on land or in strange clusters and raising collision risks as electronic warfare spills into Gulf waters. While Iran is suspected, there is no official confirmation; researchers use radar and satellite data to map the interference and are pursuing mitigations from anti-jamming antennas to alternative navigation methods (gyroscopes, accelerometers, star-mapping), though no solution is perfect. The episode highlights the vulnerability of open GNSS and the push toward more secure, multi-sensor positioning.