An examination of legal and operational risks for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Image credit by: Below the Sky / Shutterstock.com An examination of legal and operational risks for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz Introduction: The geopolitical background Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate, primarily due to Iran’s nuclear programme. The US has responded to these developments by significantly increasing its military presence in the Middle East, reinforcing regional forces, deploying major naval assets, including the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, and ramping up aircraft patrols, surveillance, and readiness exercises. On 17 February, Iranian state media reported a partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz; however, no complete closure has occurred to date. Iran has seized commercial vessels and oil tankers in the region, often citing alleged smuggling offences. On 9 February, the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued an advisory urging US-flagged commercial vessels to avoid Iranian territorial waters when transiting the Strait and to refuse permission for Iranian forces to board if requested. Vessels are also advised to keep AIS transponders operational unless otherwise directed by the US Navy. Reports have emerged of Iranian authorities attempting to force commercial vessels into their territorial waters, coinciding with a US Navy fighter jet’s interception of an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln. Since mid-2025, there has been a notable increase in incidents of GPS and AIS jamming and spoofing around the Hormuz Strait, often attributed to Iranian electronic interference. Jamming involves overwhelming a GPS receiver with powerful signals, impeding its functionality, while spoofing supplies false data to the receiver, misleading it about position and time. Such interference poses significant safety risks: a vessel misled by spoofed GPS data may str