Iran Hints at Destroying Hormuz Fiber-Optic Cables, Threatening the Global Internet

[The Financial News] After the collapse of the second ceasefire negotiations with the United States of America (US), the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is once again tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, and has hinted that it could cut the fiber-optic cables laid in the strait. If the cables are severed, damage to internet networks across the Persian Gulf and around the world would be unavoidable.
In a report on the 22nd local time, Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency claimed that "the concentration of multiple internet cables in a narrow single passage has made the Strait of Hormuz a vulnerable point in the digital economy." It added that "if several major cables are damaged at the same time, whether by accident or intentionally, serious service disruptions could occur across the Persian Gulf."
The agency also included a map showing subsea cable routes extending from the Persian Gulf toward the Indian Ocean. According to the map, cable networks linking the Middle East with both the Mediterranean Sea and Asia overlap along the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Tasnim News Agency pointed to seven cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz, including FALCON, AAE-1, TGN-Gulf, and SEA-ME-WE. It also claimed that more than 97% of global internet traffic passes through those cables.
In a report on the 23rd, Russia's EurAsia Daily (EADaily) said that "a large share of the data connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa passes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, accounting for about 30% of global traffic." It added, "This is the backbone of the world."
Subsea cables in the Strait of Hormuz are laid in relatively shallow waters, with a maximum depth of about 200 meters, making them easier for Iran to damage. By contrast, repairs take time. In February 2024, when three subsea cables in the Red Sea were damaged and internet traffic between Asia and Europe fell by 25%, it took five months to restore the cables.
EurAsia Daily (EADaily) argued that "Iran's latest announcement is a clear signal that, if tensions escalate, it intends to expand its targets beyond oil to include regional digital infrastructure."
Iran, which had been expected to hold a second ceasefire negotiation with the US in Pakistan on the 22nd, ultimately did not send its delegation that day. The US said it would enter an indefinite ceasefire with Iran starting on the 22nd, but the Iranian side has not issued any official response. Instead, Iran announced on the 22nd that it had seized three vessels that tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without authorization.


pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter