The Islamic Republic of Iran is apparently using GPS navigation system to affect commercial ships and aircrafts’ directions, hoping they might wander into Iranian water.
The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration issued a warning on Wednesday, highlighting possible threats to commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf waters.
“Vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman may also encounter GPS interference, bridge-to-bridge communication spoofing, and\or other communications jamming with little to no warning,” the statement reads.
Since May 2019, members of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCs) attacked several oil tankers, seized at least three commercial ships and downed a US aircraft in the international waters.
“In at least two of these incidents, vessels reported GPS interference. One vessel reportedly shut off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) before it was sized, complicating response efforts,” the Wednesday’s statement warned.
A coalition made by US and joined by UK and Israel to stop Iran from further threatening foreign commercial ships in the Gulf waters.
