World

Iran Warns of Undersea Cable Attacks if U.S. and Israel Strike Again

By Reuters

Tehran has outlined plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the United States and Israel launch another attack on Iran, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters. The officials, who spoke anonymously, said they would aim to prevent repairs after any attacks to prolong disruptions to communications, including internet connections. One official warned Washington not to “play with fire” and said Iran had full access to the cables and could easily destroy them. Yadollah Javani, deputy head of political affairs for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said on Wednesday (October 21) that Iran could target seven major internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure came under attack. Undersea cables carry about 99 % of global internet traffic, but less than 1 % of international bandwidth passes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Alan Mauldin, research director at TeleGeography. The strait separates Iran and Oman, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The U.S. Department of State and Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. There was no immediate comment from Gulf states. The plans reflect Iran’s belief that a renewed U.S. military campaign would require a stronger response than before. Mohsen Rezaei, a top security official, warned that U.S.-linked digital infrastructure across the Gulf, including data centres and AI facilities, could be targeted. Washington’s Gulf allies have invested heavily in such infrastructure and they “should hold Washington, not Tehran, responsible for any damage to undersea cables,” the second official said. Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the West Asia Institute, said the threats were intended to deter renewed conflict and pressure Washington by making Gulf governments and U.S. companies fear for their investments. Multiple cable cuts could slow internet services and disrupt financial transactions, e-commerce and cloud computing, analysts said. The impact would depend on how operators reroute traffic and the capacity available on alternative connections. Restoring connections during wartime could be difficult, and higher insurance costs and delays in obtaining permits to enter territorial waters could further complicate repairs. The Red Sea could offer a more significant target than the Strait of Hormuz, especially if Iran had support from its Houthi allies in Yemen, though Tehran has made no public statement indicating it plans to target cables there. The Red Sea carries data between Europe, East Africa and Asia, with capacity routed through it accounting for about 3 % of global international demand and around 10 % of traffic travelling between regions. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in technology to diversify beyond oil and become global artificial intelligence hubs, deepening ties with U.S. technology firms. Iranian strikes directly hit two Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE in March and damaged infrastructure near one of its facilities in Bahrain. The IRGC named U.S. tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, Apple and Nvidia, as legitimate targets at the height of the war in March. Land‑based connections can provide alternative routes for internet traffic, and Gulf states and U.S. technology companies are investing in additional infrastructure to improve resilience. Microsoft plans to invest more than $400 million in subsea and terrestrial connectivity across West Asia by 2030.