Iranians face GPS chaos following Israel conflict

The Impact of GPS Disruption on Daily Life in Tehran

The streets of Tehran have become a confusing maze for many, including driver Farshad Fooladi, who is struggling with the ongoing GPS disruptions that have persisted for nearly two months. This issue has emerged following an unprecedented 12-day war between Iran and Israel. For Fooladi, who relies on Iran's homegrown ride-hailing app Snapp to find customers, the disruptions have made it difficult to work efficiently.

"For weeks I have been unable to work," said Fooladi, who described how most of his time was wasted wandering around aimlessly. The 35-year-old Iranian driver shared that he often found himself lost, which significantly impacted his income.

The GPS disruptions began after Israel launched a surprise attack in mid-June, triggering a deadly conflict that lasted 12 days. Since then, users across Iran have experienced issues with GPS technology, which stands for Global Positioning System. This system allows for accurate location tracking by triangulating signals from multiple satellites.

Iran’s communications ministry has attributed the disruptions to "security and military purposes," without providing further details. Missiles, drones, and rockets often use GPS or similar technologies to target their destinations. While Iran has long used GPS jamming and spoofing around sensitive military sites, the recent disruptions have been more extensive and widespread than ever before.

The uncertainty surrounding the duration of these measures and the damage they have caused to Iranian businesses remains unclear. Ride-hailing apps, delivery platforms, and even basic mapping services like Google Maps and its Iranian equivalent Neshan have all been affected by the interference. In many areas, especially around Tehran, users often see themselves hundreds of kilometers away from their actual locations.

"To get around, you either need a sharp memory for routes or already know the city well," Fooladi explained. However, as someone originally from the western Lorestan province and less familiar with Tehran's winding backstreets, he frequently finds himself running into dead ends. To mitigate this, he only picks up passengers who know the directions, a strategy that has severely cut his income.

Collateral Damage

In early August, the chief executive of the Neshan mapping app, Javad Amel, mentioned that daily disruptions through GPS spoofing had been ongoing for years, especially in Tehran. He noted that Neshan's daily active users had dropped by 15 percent, while navigation activity on the app fell by 20 percent.

The continued disruption has heightened fears of a deepening economic crisis among Iranians. The Islamic republic's economy is already struggling under the weight of decades of international sanctions and mismanagement, compounded by the revival of US President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign earlier this year.

Nuclear talks with Washington, which began in April, have also stalled since the United States joined its ally Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites in June. "This war has upended our lives and frozen our future plans," said Fooladi.

A report by Khabar Online news agency warned against the disruption of GPS, highlighting the "collateral damage" it has caused to the digital economy and public safety, including delays to emergency services. Former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi argued the disruption was costly and would likely have limited defensive results. He stated that drone manufacturers and operators are not stupid and would adapt to any new positioning system.

Unclear Future

With the significant impact on civilian lives, deputy communications minister Ehsan Chitsaz suggested that Iran could consider alternatives to GPS. "Disruptions are created by domestic systems on GPS, and this has pushed us toward alternative options such as BeiDou," he told Iranian daily Ham Mihan in July.

The Chinese satellite system BeiDou, fully operational since 2020, is emerging as a global rival to the US-built and operated GPS. Chitsaz mentioned that Iran was "drafting a program" so some of the country's location-based services for transport and agriculture could "gradually migrate from GPS to BeiDou."

He acknowledged that disruptions in Iran, coupled with years-long internet restrictions, have damaged businesses and created "social distrust and despair." However, experts say replacing GPS would be complex. "Doing so would require extensive and costly infrastructure changes," said Amir Rashidi of the US-based Miaan group, adding that Iran is currently "highly vulnerable in cyberspace."

Many in Iran believe that another confrontation with Israel is on the horizon as Israel and the United States continue to threaten attacks if Iran restarts its nuclear programme, which has been on hold since the war. "Everything is uncertain, and we can't plan. The future is unclear," said Mohammad Hossein Ghanbari, a 32-year-old Snapp driver. "We don't know whether the war will break out again or what will happen next."