There is increasing "electronic interference" against commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The arm's-length agency of the UK Ministry of Defence acts as a bridge between commercial shipping and the military.
It says it's received multiple reports of problems with the tracking system used by ships, known as the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which is designed to allow them to mark their positions.
Around 20% of global oil supplies travel through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow body of water off Iran's coast that links the Persian Gulf with the rest of the world.
"The levels and intensity [of electronic interference] inside the Gulf are having a significant impact on vessels positional reporting," the UKMTO says in an advistory.
The agency is urging ships to exercise more caution whilst navigating the area and did not name the source of the increased interference
The Iranians I've spoken to in Tehran are in shock. They say some of their friends and family have already fled, driving to the borders with Turkey and Armenia.
One woman hasn’t left her apartment in two days. She heard the sounds of explosions overnight and is too afraid to leave her elderly mother on her own.
She relies on the media, as well as worried messages from friends, for any information. During internet outages, her window onto the outside world snaps shut.
“So, so many explosions in all parts of Tehran. I hope this ends,” she tells me.
Another person says she’s never seen Tehran so empty. Residents in her building in northern Tehran have stockpiled water and are concerned there will be more electricity outages.
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