Ships’ Signals Go Haywire as Hormuz Strait Tensions Escalate

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.

The tracking data showed about 120 vessels in a circle about an hour’s drive inland from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, signaling they’re 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.