Iran Stops Using US GPS, Switches to China's Navigation System

Iran has reportedly abandoned the US-based satellite navigation system, the Global Positioning System (GPS), and switched to using China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. For context, other global navigation systems besides GPS and BeiDou currently available include Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo. News of Iran’s adoption of BeiDou was first revealed by the geopolitical analysis media outlet, National Herald. Previously, in July 2025, amid tensions with Israel, officials from Iran’s Ministry of Communications confirmed that the government was considering GPS alternatives such as BeiDou. “The Islamic Republic plans to pursue alternative options like China’s BeiDou system, which has become one of the main points in the long-term cooperation agreement currently being negotiated between Tehran and Beijing,” said Iran’s Deputy Minister of Communications, Ehsan Chitsaz, to the newspaper Ham-Mihan. According to Iran’s news site Iran International, officials at the time also stated that GPS disruptions and security conflicts were driving the country to seek alternative navigation systems from China. Several defence reports indicate that Iran has integrated BeiDou-3 into certain military systems, including drones and missiles, to reduce dependence on GPS. This integration is said to help Iran overcome GPS jamming in conflicts, as BeiDou is claimed to have anti-jamming features and encrypted military signals. Iran itself has reportedly experienced GPS-based navigation disruptions several times in recent years, particularly in the Gulf region and areas affected by military tensions in the Middle East, cited by KompasTekno from National Herald. Although most modern military drones and missiles use encrypted GPS signals reserved for military purposes, some reconnaissance drones as well as guided bombs or missiles still rely on open, unencrypted GPS signals, making them vulnerable to interference. Tehran has experienced these disruptions more severely than other regions. Domestic navigation apps like Balad and Neshan, as well as international apps like Waze, have reportedly displayed incorrect maps or placed users in wrong locations such as Europe, Canada, or Africa when signals are disrupted. By using BeiDou, Iran hopes to have a more independent navigation system that does not rely on technology infrastructure controlled by Western countries. The BeiDou system is currently operated by China with a network of more than 40 satellites orbiting Earth. This system has been officially operational globally since 2020.