image sourced from original article at The ongoing war between the United States, Israel, and Iran is exposing serious vulnerabilities in the Global Positioning System across the Persian Gulf. Within hours of the first strikes on February 28, ships began appearing to sail over land and aircraft were tracked flying in strange, wave-like patterns. Food delivery riders in Dubai even seemed to be located offshore due to navigation disruptions.
Data from maritime tracking firms showed that more than 1,100 vessels experienced interference within the first 24 hours of the conflict, with incidents rising sharply in the following week. Analysts say Gulf states are deliberately jamming satellite navigation signals to protect critical infrastructure, aiming to confuse hostile drones and missiles before they reach their targets.
Although manipulation of ship tracking systems has occurred in the region for years, the scale of disruption has intensified dramatically since the conflict escalated. When false signals flood the region, civilian and commercial users are affected alongside military targets, highlighting the fragility of global satellite navigation systems. Similar navigation disruptions were observed in Europe after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
