At least seven major telecommunication cables run along the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz. They transmit enormous volumes of data.
On the map: the most important underwater cables in the Persian Gulf. Bild
Iran unofficially threatens to damage underwater data transmission cables and thus disconnect the Persian Gulf countries from the internet, writes Bild.
The Tasnim News Agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, published a map of underwater cables in the Strait of Hormuz and commented: «If, for any reason — be it natural disasters, ship anchoring, maritime accidents, or deliberate actions — several main cables in the Strait of Hormuz are simultaneously severed, a digital catastrophe will shake the Arab states of the Persian Gulf».
At least seven major telecommunication cables run along the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz. They transmit enormous volumes of data.
The Falcon, AAE-1, TGN-Gulf, and SEA-ME-WE systems connect the Persian Gulf countries with major data centers in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Due to diplomatic tensions with Tehran, all cables run through Omani waters, not Iranian ones.
According to Tasnim, Iran itself would suffer in the event of a cable break, but the country is less dependent on them and therefore «significantly less vulnerable». Officially, Iranian officials do not comment on the agency's report. However, it is considered that it can be seen as a threat.
Analysts at the non-profit American think tank Stimson Center note that over 15% of global data traffic passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This means that for US allies (United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, as well as Iraq), the cables laid along the seabed are vital infrastructure.
A disruption could have serious economic consequences, as millions of banking and financial transactions are carried out daily via the internet. Data centers for artificial intelligence in the Emirates and the global financial center in Dubai would be under threat. The consequences would be felt even in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
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