Concerns among Arab countries regarding the potential damage to underwater internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz have increased. These cables provide a crucial part of the digital communication infrastructure for the countries bordering the Persian Gulf, and damage to them could disrupt internet services, data centers, and online businesses in the region.
Possible Consequences of Damage to Internet Cables
Ibrahim bin Sultan Alhashimi, Director of the Information and Communications Department at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned about the potential consequences of cutting internet cables, emphasizing that the damage from such an action would not be limited to specific countries and would also affect Iran and its neighbors. The extensive reliance of banking, communication, and commercial services on the internet means that disruptions in these infrastructures could have consequences beyond just slowing down user access.
Read more: Central Governor: Knowledge-Based Plan to Convert LPG to Natural Gas is Being Implemented
According to information from the International Telecommunication Union, over 99 percent of international data traffic is transmitted through a vast network of underwater cables. In the Persian Gulf region, seven underwater cable systems have been identified that pass through the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters. These cables connect the Persian Gulf countries, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran, to broader communication networks in Asia and Europe.
Potential Disruptions in Internet Services
Some communication systems in the region have data transmission capacities ranging from tens to over a hundred terabits per second. Therefore, simultaneous damage to multiple cables could severely reduce the international communication capacity of countries dependent on these routes. In September 2025, damage to the SEA-ME-WE 4, IMEWE, and FALCON cables in the Red Sea disrupted internet communications in parts of the Middle East and South Asia. Users in some countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Pakistan, and India, experienced slow internet and increased communication delays.
In recent years, Arab countries bordering the Persian Gulf have hosted data centers and cloud infrastructures for major companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Huawei. These data centers rely on high-capacity communication routes to connect to the global network, and damage to underwater cables could disrupt some of their services. Disruptions in these infrastructures may impact the performance of cloud services, financial transactions, online stores, and communication systems.
However, the cutting of one or more cables does not necessarily mean a complete internet shutdown for the countries in the region. Some Persian Gulf countries have alternative communication routes, including other underwater cables and terrestrial networks, and can redirect some of the traffic to these routes. The severity of the potential disruption will depend on the number of damaged cables, the capacity of alternative routes, and the time required to repair the infrastructures.
The main concern is that widespread and simultaneous damage to underwater cables in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea could also strain the capacity of alternative routes and expand the disruption of digital communications from the Persian Gulf countries to other regions.
Read more: Advancements in the MARPOWER Project in Marine Carbon Reduction Technologies · Increase in Iranian Attacks on Ships in the Strait of Hormuz Before the U.S. Elections
