Iran’s threat to cut undersea cables through the Strait of Hormuz raises regional and global risks

The useful part

Rokas Tenys / Alamy Stock Photo via The Conversation The conflict between Iran and the US appears to have reached a stalemate. Iran, meanwhile, threatens shipping moving in or out of the Persian Gulf region via the Strait of Hormuz. Less frequently discussed is the network of undersea cables across the Persian Gulf, which connect the region with the outside world.

How it works

• On August 16, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Iranian government was considering attacks on that network.
• These cables form a largely unseen foundation of the global economy, carrying more than 95% of international data traffic.
• They support financial transactions, government communications and the increasingly data-intensive operations of the global technology sector.
• Major technology companies such as Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are investing heavily in subsea connectivity as they expand data-centre networks and seek to meet the growing demands of AI.
• To demonstrate the scale of this risk, the key cable networks include the Fibre in Gulf submarine cable system, which connects Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

What to take from it

In the Gulf's relatively shallow waters, threats to this critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) pose a credible risk to the Gulf States and the wider world. With an average depth of 50 meters and a maximum depth of less than 100 meters, those who might wish to attack the CUI network do not need the sort of high-end capabilities of Russia's Gugi agency. It's a risk they may be willing to take given their current isolation.

Example or evidence

• Gugi, which is the Russian acronym for the Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, is responsible for underwater sabotage and espionage.
• There is also the Falcon Network, which connects Bahrain, Egypt, India, Iraq, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Yemen.
• The Asia-Africa-Europe1 (AEE1) network, with landing sites in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, linking southeast Asia to Europe via Egypt.
• International, which links Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and has onward connectivity to India and Europe.

Details worth keeping

Iran threat to cut Hormuz undersea cables puts Gulf on edge. Their role extends far beyond everyday internet and call usage. Key undersea internet calbes are vulnerale to disruption in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

Related coverage

• Cryptobriefing: Escalating US-Iran tensions over strategic infrastructure could destabilize global communications and trade, heightening invasion risks.
• Aljazeera: US-Iran attacks on tankers around Hormuz are raising fears of devastating oil spills across the Gulf.
• Foreignpolicy: Such assaults put the Strait of Hormuz under growing pressure as global crude prices skyrocket.