Indian sailors battle chaos at sea as GPS blackout, mine fears choke Strait of Hormuz

Indian seafarers navigating the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz are confronting a dangerous mix of GPS disruptions, mine warnings and conflicting radio instructions, as escalating Gulf tensions turn one of the world’s busiest oil routes into a zone of uncertainty and fear.

In a rare relief for New Delhi, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has indicated safe passage for cargo belonging to “friendly nations”. But on the ground — or rather, at sea — Indian crews say the situation remains volatile and unpredictable, according to a report by ToI's Ismat Ara.

Ships transiting the narrow strait have reported repeated radio broadcasts warning vessels not to proceed.


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“Attention all ships… This is the Sepah Navy… navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is forbidden… no ship is allowed to pass until further notice,” the messages declare, according to crews, who attribute them to the IRGC Navy.

These real-time warnings are directly influencing navigation decisions, with several vessels choosing to halt rather than risk entering contested waters.

GPS failures forcing risky manual navigation

Compounding the crisis is widespread disruption of GPS systems, a critical tool for modern maritime navigation, forcing crews to rely on manual methods in one of the world’s most congested sea lanes.

Captain Manish Kumar, an Indian master mariner with 28 years of experience currently awaiting clearance to cross Hormuz, described the gravity of the situation.

“Navigation is severely affected due to GPS. It is very difficult to determine the position of the vessel...If you miss the position in such narrow waters, the vessel can be grounded or it can even collide,” he told TOI.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint through which a significant portion of global oil supply passes, leaves little margin for error — making GPS outages especially hazardous.

Mine threats add to escalating danger

Beyond navigation challenges, crews are also dealing with warnings about underwater mines — a threat that significantly raises the stakes for tankers carrying flammable cargo.

Ships are being issued marked transit routes to minimise risk. “There are arrows—entry and exit routes marked. It’s like a designated passage,” Kumar said.

Despite decades of experience operating in piracy-prone and conflict-hit waters, Kumar said the current combination of threats is unlike anything he has seen before.

“But this combination—GPS issues, unclear timeline, and real threats out there—this is new,” he said.

The majority of vessels crossing the strait are oil and chemical tankers, meaning even a minor navigational error or mine strike could trigger catastrophic explosions.

Industry sources known to ToI warn that the risks are not just operational but potentially environmental and geopolitical, given the volume of energy supplies that pass through the corridor.

Also read: The Iran war is now all about the future of Hormuz

Intelligence alerts flag ‘critical’ threat level

Shipping companies are now issuing daily conflict intelligence updates to vessels, combining military advisories, tracking data and risk analysis to guide captains in real time.

A March 25 “Middle East Conflict Daily Security Intelligence Update” advised “extreme caution”, citing ongoing GPS interference, heightened port security and unverified reports of mine-laying activity.

A day earlier, the Joint Maritime Information Center classified the regional maritime threat level as “critical”. It reported 21 confirmed incidents since March 1 and noted persistent “navigation interference” across the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf.

The escalating risks have sharply reduced maritime traffic through the strait. Vessel movement has dropped from an average of about 138 ships per day to single-digit crossings, according to the advisory.

It also warned that attacks may not be selective and could occur close to ports, adding another layer of uncertainty for vessels waiting to transit.

For Indian sailors caught in the middle of rising regional tensions, the passage through Hormuz has become a high-stakes gamble — where every decision could mean the difference between safe transit and disaster.

(With inputs from ToI's Ismat Ara)