Mysterious clusters of ships have appeared near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about widespread electronic interference as tensions escalate
in the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. Tracking data compiled by Bloomberg shows that at least a dozen large clusters of vessels have suddenly emerged across the region. Some clusters appear to contain more than 200 ships and include vessels of various types. In several cases, ships were also shown travelling at implausibly high speeds — more than 100 knots per hour — indicating major disruptions to navigation tracking systems. The strange patterns are widely believed to be the result of electronic signal jamming affecting maritime navigation. The disruptions come as the waterway becomes a focal point of the conflict between the US and Israel and Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, linking oil producers in the Persian Gulf to global markets. Any disruption to shipping through the passage can quickly rattle global energy supplies. Because of the conflict, normal oil flows through the region have already been severely disrupted. At one stage, Brent crude prices surged toward $120 per barrel as traders feared prolonged supply interruptions. Prices later fell after Donald Trump suggested that the war could end soon. According to Mark Douglas, a maritime-domain analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the level of interference has made vessel tracking extremely difficult. Over the past two days, he said, the situation around Hormuz has become nearly impossible to interpret using standard tracking data. Some of the phantom ship clusters even formed unusual shapes on monitoring systems, including a circular grouping inland near Abu Dhabi and another resembling an inverted “Z” off Ruwais in the United Arab Emirates. Other clusters were detected in the Gulf of Oman, possibly representing vessels waiting offshore until tensions ease before entering the strait. Electronic warfare techniques such as GPS jamming can cause ships to appear far from their actual positions or display unrealistic speeds. One example cited in the data was the tanker Asprouda, which appeared to be travelling at an impossible 102.2 knots near Jebel Ali — nearly 190 km per hour — even though such vessels normally reach speeds of only around 16 knots. The disruptions have also heightened anxiety across the global shipping industry. Shipowners and charterers are already grappling with soaring war-risk insurance premiums and the threat of missile or drone attacks on vessels operating in the region. Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported that more than 1,100 ships in the Persian Gulf have experienced navigation interference since the conflict began. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has also dropped sharply — just five vessels crossed the waterway on March 4 compared with about 120 crossings on February 26. To restore confidence in the route, Trump has floated the idea of providing US-backed insurance and naval escorts for ships traveling through the strait. In an interview with CBS, he also said he was “thinking about taking it over,” though he did not clarify what specific actions that might involve. Experts warn that navigation in the area has become increasingly risky. With GPS signals unreliable due to jamming, vessels operating near Hormuz may be forced to rely on alternative navigation methods, complicating an already tense maritime security environment.
