More than 1,100 ships across the Middle East experienced significant navigation disruptions within a 24-hour period following the US-Israel strike on Iran on February 28, raising serious safety and cybersecurity concerns in one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. According to maritime intelligence firm Windward, the large-scale interference affected both Global Positioning System (GPS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals, creating false vessel positions and exposing ships to heightened risks of accidents, collisions, and operational confusion.

The disruption, which analysts described as resembling a major maritime cybersecurity incident, caused ships to appear in incorrect locations on digital navigation systems. In several cases, vessel signals indicated impossible positions such as inland areas, including near a nuclear power plant, inside airports, and deep within Iranian territory. These false signals complicated navigation and compliance monitoring for vessels traveling through the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.

Windward, a maritime AI company specializing in maritime risk intelligence, identified more than 1,100 instances of GPS and AIS interference across the region within a single day. In an analysis published on March 1, the company reported discovering at least 21 new clusters of AIS signal jamming across waters belonging to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Iran.

The company emphasized that the disruptions were not the result of individual vessels attempting to manipulate their own signals. Instead, the interference appeared to stem from broad jamming activities that affected all vessels operating within certain geographic areas. Such large-scale signal disruption can interfere with navigation systems used by commercial ships, tankers, and cargo vessels, making it difficult for crews to determine their exact location.

AIS and GPS technologies are critical components of modern maritime navigation. AIS allows ships to broadcast their location, speed, and identification data to nearby vessels and coastal monitoring systems, helping prevent collisions and enabling maritime authorities to track vessel movements. GPS, meanwhile, provides the core positioning information that allows ships to navigate safely across open waters and through congested shipping routes.

When these systems are disrupted, vessels may lose reliable positioning data or display incorrect locations on electronic charts. In this latest incident, Windward reported multiple cases where ships appeared to be “teleported” onto land when viewed on monitoring platforms. Such anomalies are characteristic of GPS spoofing or jamming operations, where electronic signals are manipulated to mislead navigation receivers.

According to Windward, the interference observed in the Middle East bears similarities to previous GPS jamming incidents recorded in other geopolitically sensitive maritime regions, including the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Red Sea. These areas have frequently experienced signal manipulation during periods of military tension or conflict.

Signal jamming on such a scale typically involves powerful ground-based transmitters that broadcast signals strong enough to overpower legitimate GPS transmissions from satellites. Because satellite navigation signals are relatively weak when they reach the Earth’s surface, they can be easily disrupted by stronger electronic emissions.

More advanced systems are capable of performing what is known as GPS spoofing. In these cases, transmitters send counterfeit navigation signals that trick receivers into calculating incorrect positions. Windward explained that some sophisticated spoofing techniques can deliberately shift vessels’ reported AIS positions to entirely different locations, including on land.

The recent disruptions occurred during a period of heightened regional tension following the February 28 strikes against Iranian targets by the United States and Israel. While the exact origin of the signal interference has not been confirmed, analysts believe it may be linked to defensive electronic warfare measures in response to potential retaliatory actions.

Windward noted that the most striking aspect of the latest event was the intensity and rapid geographic spread of the interference across the Gulf region. Within a short timeframe, the jamming affected a large number of vessels traveling through several key maritime zones that handle significant volumes of global oil shipments and international trade.

Separate analysis from maritime insurer Lloyd’s also documented widespread signal disruptions across the same region. Data published on March 2 indicated that approximately 600 cargo ships appeared to be clustered off the coast of the United Arab Emirates due to signal distortion. Meanwhile, more than 80 ships were detected off the coast of Iran, around 50 near Oman, and roughly 10 vessels near Qatar.

Such abnormal vessel concentrations are widely interpreted by analysts as indicators of GPS spoofing or signal manipulation rather than actual ship movements. In reality, the ships remained in their proper locations but were digitally displaced on monitoring systems.

Experts warn that disruptions of this magnitude can significantly increase navigational risks, particularly in heavily trafficked shipping lanes. Ships rely heavily on electronic navigation tools, and sudden inaccuracies can lead to confusion among crews and maritime authorities.

Ramsey Faragher, chief executive of the Royal Institute of Navigation, suggested that the interference may have been carried out by neighboring countries attempting to protect themselves from potential Iranian attacks.

“I think it’s most likely that it is the neighboring countries trying to prevent Iranian strikes that today appear to have been targeting multiple neighbors,” Faragher told investigators examining the incident.

Electronic warfare systems are sometimes deployed to interfere with satellite navigation signals as a defensive tactic. By disrupting GPS signals in a particular area, military operators can make it more difficult for guided weapons, drones, or missiles to navigate accurately.

However, such measures can also unintentionally affect civilian infrastructure, including commercial shipping, aviation, and telecommunications systems that rely on satellite positioning.

Windward warned that widespread interference poses serious safety concerns for the maritime industry. False vessel positions can trigger incorrect collision alerts, mislead traffic monitoring systems, and complicate regulatory compliance checks conducted by maritime authorities.

“When ships appear in the wrong location, port authorities and monitoring agencies may receive false alerts about where vessels are and what they are doing,” the company explained. “This can create operational confusion and raise compliance issues.”

Beyond navigation risks, GPS disruption can also affect logistics planning, port operations, and maritime insurance assessments. Shipping companies often rely on satellite tracking data to manage cargo schedules and monitor fleet movements, meaning signal interference can disrupt supply chains and delay deliveries.

The Persian Gulf and nearby waterways represent some of the most strategically important maritime routes in the world. A significant portion of global energy supplies passes through the region, including oil shipments traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. Any technological disruption affecting shipping operations there has the potential to influence international trade and energy markets.

As geopolitical tensions continue to fluctuate in the Middle East, analysts say incidents involving electronic signal interference may become more frequent. Maritime security specialists are increasingly urging shipping companies to strengthen their awareness of electronic warfare risks and develop backup navigation procedures in case satellite systems become unreliable.

The recent disruption affecting more than 1,100 ships underscores the vulnerability of modern navigation systems to electronic interference. While satellite-based technology has revolutionized maritime operations, it has also created new challenges in an era where cyber and electronic warfare tools are becoming more sophisticated and widely deployed.

For now, maritime authorities and industry experts are closely monitoring the situation to determine whether the interference will continue or if it was a temporary surge linked to the recent military developments in the region. Regardless of the cause, the incident highlights the growing intersection between geopolitical conflict and the security of global navigation systems.

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