How Israeli start-ups are helping ships navigate a contested Hormuz

Israeli startups are innovating to help commercial ships navigate the increasingly perilous Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway where Iran has escalated maritime threats. Recent attacks, including a drone strike on the Singaporean-flagged Ever Lovely and a hit on the Kiku tanker near the Omani coast, underscore the instability despite a fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's energy supply passes, has become a chokepoint. Iran's insistence on controlling transit routes and threats against ships using alternative corridors have disrupted global trade, causing energy prices to skyrocket. This situation puts pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate a deal with Tehran to resume commerce.

Iran is employing cost-effective asymmetric warfare tactics, utilizing mines, drones, and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to deny passage. Rear Admiral (res.) Yuval Eylon notes that these methods are cheaper than traditional military actions and allow Iran to control access without significant resource expenditure. For instance, a Shahed-136 drone costs an estimated $35,000, a fraction of the cost of interceptors like the Patriot missile system used to counter such threats.

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Today you don't even have to fire expensive missiles. You can use a mine or UAV or USV. It's cheap, and you don't have to operate a big military force. It's asymmetric warfare, and it enables the Iranians to deny access to passage through the straits without even having to fire even one missile.