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Iran’s Bold Move: Ditching GPS for BeiDou and the Rise of a New Tech Cold War

Iran's Bold Move: Ditching GPS for BeiDou and the Rise of a New Tech Cold War

Iran’s Plan to Abandon GPS Signals Deep Strategic Shift Beyond Technology

By Jasim Al-Azzawi, Analyst and Journalist
Published: 27 July 2025

In recent years, the global spotlight has focused heavily on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where emerging military tactics are reshaping future warfare. These conflicts are revealing not only advancements in weaponry but also critical changes in the technological arenas underpinning modern combat.

One significant development has come from Iran following the latest Israel-US military operations in its region. During the 12-day conflict, both Iran and maritime vessels in the Gulf experienced repeated GPS disruptions, exposing a glaring vulnerability in Iran’s reliance on the American-led Global Positioning System. This vulnerability has spurred Iranian authorities to reconsider their dependence on Western technology and pursue alternatives.

From GPS to BeiDou: A Strategic Pivot

Ehsan Chitsaz, Iran’s deputy communications minister, confirmed in July that Iran is actively developing a plan to transition critical sectors such as transportation, agriculture, and internet infrastructure away from GPS in favor of China’s BeiDou satellite navigation system. This move may appear tactical on the surface, yet it bears deeper geopolitical significance.

For decades, the technological world order has been dominated by Western—and predominantly American—infrastructure. Whether it be computer operating systems, the internet, telecommunications, or satellite networks, many nations have been reliant on technology controlled by the US and its allies. This reliance inherently creates vulnerabilities, as reliance on foreign systems translates into potential avenues for surveillance, disruption, or influence.

Since 2013, revelations from whistleblowers and media investigations have unveiled extensive Western surveillance and global data gathering operations. Consequently, many countries have grown wary of blindly depending on US-controlled networks. Iran’s pivot toward BeiDou is a powerful indicator of a growing global trend: countries seeking sovereignty over their technological infrastructure to reduce dependence on rivals.

Emergent Regional Navigation Systems: Challenging Western Dominance

China’s BeiDou system is not the only alternative to GPS. Europe’s Galileo and Russia’s GLONASS systems also represent efforts by regional powers to create navigational alternatives that provide sovereign technological control. This proliferation challenges the once-unassailable dominance of the US GPS system and reflects the complex dynamics of geopolitical rivalry blended with technology.

Beyond GPS: Iranian Concerns Over Telecom Security

Iran’s technological unease goes beyond satellite navigation. In the same conflict, Israel successfully targeted and assassinated several Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders. The precision of these strikes suggested the possibility of Israeli intelligence infiltrating Iranian telecommunications, tracking key individuals via their mobile devices.

Reflecting these fears, Iranian authorities urged citizens, during the height of the conflict in mid-June, to uninstall WhatsApp, accusing the US-owned app of gathering sensitive information to be passed to Israeli intelligence. While direct links between the assassinations and app surveillance remain unclear, these concerns are supported by broader cybersecurity skepticism. Reportedly, Israeli artificial intelligence used in Gaza is fueled by social media data, highlighting the weaponization of digital platforms.

Moreover, the US House of Representatives recently moved to ban WhatsApp on official devices, highlighting institutional mistrust over data security.

Iran’s Digital Sovereignty Efforts

Iran is bolstering its own digital infrastructure to reclaim control. The National Information Network, an Iranian intranet, limits and monitors the country’s internet traffic under state control. Looking ahead, Iran might expand this approach, potentially adopting methods similar to China’s Great Firewall, echoing a broader trend of national digital fortification as a defensive strategy.

China-Iran Partnership and the New Tech Cold War

This shift aligns Iran clearly with China’s expanding geopolitical and technological influence, particularly within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). More than just a trade and infrastructure project, BRI represents a blueprint for an alternative global order, linking nations politically and technologically while challenging Western dominance.

Iran’s growing strategic importance as an energy supplier and regional power places it at the heart of this emerging tech bloc. This alignment is less transactional and more ideologically driven, emphasizing digital sovereignty and political defiance against perceived Western hegemony.

As countries increasingly select technologies, communication systems, and data networks based on political alliance and security concerns—not merely technological superiority—a “tech cold war” is unfolding. This low-temperature conflict reshapes global power balances, as the Western technological advantage diminishes in real time.

Conclusion

Iran’s move away from GPS is far from being just a technological adjustment; it signals a profound geopolitical and strategic realignment. It underscores a global shift toward multipolar technology ecosystems, where sovereignty, security, and political allegiance are redefining the future landscape of warfare, intelligence, and digital governance.

The implications of this shift will ripple across nations confronting similar dilemmas over technological dependence and strategic autonomy, heralding a new era in international relations defined as much by digital infrastructure as by traditional political and military alliances.


The views expressed herein are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.

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