Breaking News: Iran Deploys Electronic Warfare Systems in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to Disrupt U.S. Stealth Aircraft.

Tensions in the Middle East are intensifying as Iran has launched a concerted electronic warfare campaign across the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, targeting U.S. military aircraft and maritime operations with aggressive GPS and communications jamming. The move signals a growing willingness by Tehran to confront American forces not only through proxy engagements but also via direct technological confrontation in one of the most strategically vital regions of the world.
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Iran deploys military electronic warfare vehicle in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, part of a broader effort by Tehran to jam GPS and communication signals across the region, challenging U.S. surveillance aircraft and disrupting regional navigation systems. (Picture source: Iran Press Agency)

According to U.S. defense and intelligence officials, Iran has activated ground-based jamming systems capable of interfering with satellite navigation and disrupting communication links between airborne platforms and command centers. This activity is already impacting U.S. Air Force surveillance aircraft, including RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence planes, E-8C Joint STARS ground surveillance platforms, and MQ-9 Reaper drones, all of which rely heavily on uninterrupted GPS signals and secure datalinks to operate effectively in contested airspace.

Sources familiar with regional military operations confirmed that several U.S. aircraft have recently reported degraded GPS functionality while conducting reconnaissance missions over the Gulf. In some cases, these disruptions have forced aircraft to switch to backup navigation modes or alter flight patterns to avoid compromised airspace. The jamming is also affecting aircraft deployed to monitor Iranian military movements, including tracking potential ballistic missile launches or the positioning of naval assets within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.

Over the past two decades, Iran has steadily expanded its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities through both foreign acquisitions and domestic innovation, positioning itself as a regional leader in this increasingly critical domain. The Islamic Republic has developed a range of EW systems capable of jamming radar, communication links, GPS signals, and satellite navigation used by enemy forces. Systems such as the “Fajr” and “Nasr” are believed to provide ground-based jamming and signal interception, while mobile platforms mounted on trucks or aircraft extend Iran’s ability to project electronic disruption over larger areas.

Iran has also claimed to possess radar spoofing and cyber-electronic fusion technologies aimed at deceiving or disabling enemy surveillance platforms. Much of this development has been driven by Iran's defense industry, including organizations like the Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) and the IRGC's own research units, which have sought to overcome international sanctions by reverse-engineering captured Western systems and integrating them into indigenous designs. These advances have allowed Iran to challenge technologically superior adversaries through asymmetric means, making electronic warfare a central pillar of its defense and deterrence strategy.

This escalation in electronic warfare coincides with a broader spike in regional hostilities. Since March 15, U.S. forces have launched a sustained military campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen, employing precision airstrikes and missile attacks, including the deployment of B-2A Spirit stealth bombers to target high-value sites linked to missile launches and drone activity. The Houthis, backed and armed by Iran, have intensified their own attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, using anti-ship ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to disrupt maritime traffic and challenge U.S.-led naval patrols.

Iran’s electronic attacks appear designed not only to shield its proxy forces from U.S. retaliation but also to assert dominance in the electromagnetic domain across a region where control of the skies and seas is essential for both strategic mobility and economic stability. The jamming operations are centered around critical transit points, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, through which more than 20% of the world’s oil supply flows daily. Disrupting GPS signals in this area raises significant safety risks for both military and civilian vessels, with the potential for navigation failures, collisions, or miscommunications in congested waters.

The U.S. military is actively monitoring and assessing the evolving threat, with a focus on protecting its aircraft and restoring freedom of operation in the affected areas. Electronic warfare experts are reportedly deploying countermeasures such as directional antennas, signal encryption upgrades, and frequency-hopping technologies to mitigate the impact of jamming and spoofing.

This is not the first time Iran has used electronic warfare to challenge American air superiority. In 2011, Tehran claimed to have used signal manipulation to capture a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone. More recently, U.S. Navy vessels and drones have experienced intermittent GPS interference during freedom of navigation operations near Iranian-controlled maritime zones. These tactics form part of a broader Iranian strategy of asymmetric warfare, seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in high-tech Western systems using relatively low-cost, domestically developed tools.

The latest round of jamming raises the stakes in an already volatile environment, where military flashpoints in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen intertwine with geopolitical maneuvering by Iran, the United States, and their allies. As the electromagnetic spectrum becomes a new frontline of confrontation, the risk of miscalculation or unintended escalation continues to grow, especially in airspace and waters shared by multiple international forces. Washington’s next moves will likely aim to reinforce its aerial surveillance and navigation resilience while signaling to Tehran that aggressive interference will not go unanswered.