Iran Forces are Actively Using GPS Jammers, Pretending to be American Warships to Trick Vessels: Claims US

On 7th August, the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration issued a warning to Iran claiming that they are using either GPS interference or Bridge-to-bridge communications spoofing and may be other communications jamming for the vessels from unknown entities.

It has been observed by the federal government officials that GPS jammers are used by Iranian forces. But when questioned, Iran pretends and falsely claims that it could be the warships of U.S. or allies to trick commercial vessels into traveling through Iranian waters and then seizing them.

A series of vessels have been seized by the Iranian forces since May and hence the statement was released. Recently a vessel of the British government was seized to which this week the Britishers said that they would join the United States in a maritime coalition. This would help them in protecting merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.

At a press conference in Washington, D.C. on 7th August, United Kingdom’s “centuries of maritime expertise” was praised by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while standing alongside his British counterpart, Dominic Raab.

In the meantime, the officials of US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration have advised all U.S.-flagged vessels to “decline permission” by any Iranian forces attempting to board the ship. They also instructed that any such incident should be immediately informed to the U.S. [Navy’s] Fifth Fleet Battle Watch which is headquartered in Bahrain on priority basis.

There are huge tensions between the U.S. and Iran which is likely to bring the countries on a brink of a war. It seems U.S. has accused the Iranian regime of being responsible for six times attacking commercial tankers where mines were used to blow holes in the hull. However Iran denies the allege insisting that the downed American drone flew inside Iranian airspace.