| Reported: 0900UTC 18 June 2025 | |
| Location: Persian/Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman | |
Incident Details
It has been reported that all US naval forces deployed with the US. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain have left the port in Manama. All UK naval forces have also left the UK naval base in Bahrain. At least 1 x Littoral Command Ship (LCS) and 4 x mine countermeasures (MCM) as well as a special operations mothership are underway in the U.S Central Command Area of Operations. The US currently has up to 70 naval assets deployed within striking range of the Persian Gulf.
Fig1. The Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman
Comment. Although there has been no direct impact or spillover from the Israel/Iran conflict into the Persian Gulf maritime domain, it is possible that commercial shipping may be affected by any escalation of the current situation. However, the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz (SOH) has not changed significantly since the start of the conflict. There has been an increase in Electronic Interference affecting vessels transiting the area. It has not been confirmed yet if this was a contributory factor in the collision between 2 tankers near the SOH on 17 June.
Assessment. It is likely that the deployment of US and UK naval assets from their Bahrain port is a deliberate show of force to deter any nefarious intentions Iran may have of blockading the SOH or conducting attacks on commercial vessels. It is possible too that it is a precautionary measure in case Iran conducts such activity. Despite Iranian rhetoric, any attempt by Iran to block the SOH is likely to draw a response from the US and its allies, which Iran, at present, appears keen to avoid. For now, Iran is more likely to take a less direct approach, using GPS spoofing and electronic interference with other ships’ navigational aids as a way of making its presence felt by disrupting the flow of vessels in the SOH and its approaches. We advise ships operating in the region to proceed with caution and consider traveling in daytime to reduce the possibility of a collision due to GPS and other interference and refer to the advice given in the BMP MS bmp-ms_hi-res_s.pdf . Contact Neptune P2P Group, if you require any further assistance.
