{"id":107913,"date":"2026-05-11T07:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T07:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/107913\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T07:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T07:49:09","slug":"ships-signals-go-haywire-as-hormuz-strait-tensions-escalate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/107913\/","title":{"rendered":"Ships\u2019 Signals Go Haywire as Hormuz Strait Tensions Escalate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geolocation data for some ships in the Persian Gulf showed locations and speeds that defied logic, pointing to an increase in signal interference following fresh attacks by Iran on neighboring countries.<\/p>\n

The tracking data showed about 120 vessels in a circle about an hour\u2019s drive inland from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, signaling they\u2019re traveling at nearly 50 knots but without changes to their location. A smaller gathering of about a dozen ships was indicating speeds of more than 100 knots near the Omani-UAE land border.<\/p>\n

The appearance of such clusters inland, and at improbable speeds, is probably due to interference with the vessels\u2019 geolocation broadcasts, known as signal jamming. It comes after the UAE said it activated air defense systems last week to counter missiles and drones fired by Tehran \u2014 the first attack by Iran on the country in almost a month.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ships on Monday appeared to be signaling inland locations with speeds of up to 100 knots, a sign that electronic interference is intensifying.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s likely that the UAE and other Gulf countries activated electronic warfare systems following these latest attacks, said Mark Douglas, an analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cShipping, and most noticeably AIS data, got caught in the crossfire,\u201d he said, referring to the Automatic Identification System that uses radio signals to broadcast ships\u2019 real-time locations.<\/p>\n

While the latest levels of electronic interference aren\u2019t as severe as at the beginning of the war, the ship clusters point to an uptick after those earlier signal-scrambling efforts eased.<\/p>\n

Increased levels of signal jamming can complicate analyses of real-time traffic data in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial to understanding energy flows. Already, captains are proactively turning to tactics such as turning off ships\u2019 transponders to shield themselves from being targeted by hostile forces. One cargo vessel was attacked in the region on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Agios Fanourios I (white line) and Stella appeared on Monday [May 11] in the Gulf of Oman, ship-tracking data show. Straight lines seen in this screenshot suggest that the ships turned off their transponders during their journeys.<\/p>\n

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at a near halt on Monday, with two tankers making rare crossings to emerge in the Gulf of Oman. One of those \u2014 Agios Fanourios I \u2014 is a very large crude carrier laden with Iraqi oil that is indicating Vietnam as its destination.<\/p>\n

Related:<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.<\/p>\n

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