WorldPosted at: Oct 24 2026 7:00PM


Iran draws up plans to target underwater internet cables in Persian Gulf if US or Israel resumes strikes

Tehran, Oct 24 (UNI) Iran has drawn up plans to target undersea communications cables in the Persian Gulf if the US and Israel launch fresh attacks, Iranian security officials have warned, raising concerns over potential disruptions to internet connectivity and financial services across the region.
Two Iranian security officials said that Tehran was considering targeting undersea cables if diplomacy with Washington collapsed, reports Times Of Israel. One official said Iran would seek to prevent repairs after any attack, prolonging disruptions to communications and internet connections.
"If Iran is attacked, there will be no more red lines … from undersea cables to military bases, including covert ones," the official said, warning Washington not to "play with fire". He added that Iran had access to the cables and could destroy them.
Yadollah Javani, the IRGC's deputy head of political affairs, said on Wednesday that Iran could target seven major internet cables running beneath the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure came under attack.
Undersea cables carry around 99 per cent of global internet traffic, according to the International Telecommunication Union. However, Alan Mauldin, research director at telecommunications research firm TeleGeography, said the global impact of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz could be limited, as less than 1 pc of international bandwidth passes through the waterway, which separates Iran and Oman and connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The threats reflect Tehran's view that any renewed US military campaign would require a stronger response than the previous conflict. Senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei warned earlier this month that US-linked digital infrastructure across the Gulf, including data centres and artificial intelligence facilities, could also be targeted.
The second Iranian security official said Gulf states should hold Washington responsible for any damage to undersea cables, arguing that regional countries had invested heavily in digital infrastructure.
Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the threats were intended to deter renewed military action by increasing concerns among Gulf governments and US companies about the security of their investments.
"Tehran wants Gulf states and corporate executives to press (US President Donald) Trump over the risks his policies pose to their investment plans," Vatanka said.
Multiple cable cuts could slow internet services and disrupt financial transactions, e-commerce and cloud computing. The extent of the disruption would depend on whether operators could reroute traffic through alternative connections and whether those networks had sufficient spare capacity, Mauldin said.
Repairs could also prove difficult during a conflict, with higher insurance costs and delays in obtaining permits to enter territorial waters adding to the challenges.
The Red Sea could present a more significant target, particularly if Iran received support from its Houthi allies in Yemen, although Tehran has not publicly indicated plans to attack cables there.
The waterway carries data between Europe, East Africa and Asia, accounting for around 3 pc of global international demand and approximately 10 pc of traffic travelling between regions, according to Mauldin.
The threats come as Gulf governments expand their technology sectors to diversify their economies beyond oil and establish themselves as artificial intelligence hubs, while deepening ties with US technology companies.
Iranian strikes hit two Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE in March and damaged infrastructure near another facility in Bahrain. At the height of the conflict that month, the IRGC also identified US technology companies, including Microsoft, Google, Apple and Nvidia, as legitimate targets.
Land-based networks can provide alternative routes for internet traffic, and Gulf governments and US technology companies are investing in additional infrastructure to improve resilience. Microsoft plans to invest more than USD $400 million in subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the region by 2030.
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