The confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz is no longer limited to oil tankers and maritime traffic, as the controversy has extended to the digital infrastructure, after statements by Iranian officials regarding the targeting of submarine Internet cables and data centers sparked widespread interest, and opened the door to questions about the extent to which the Gulf states and digital services would be affected if these networks were subject to disruption.
In this context, Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hussein Mohebi said that seven main Internet cables pass under the Strait of Hormuz, hinting at the discovery of new targets and new weapons.
This threat comes in light of escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, putting the security of international communications and digital infrastructure at the heart of concerns related to the conflict.
Feedback
The reactions of social media users to this Iranian threat varied.
In this context, a participant named Al-Iraqiya commented on the X platform, saying: “It is like a father threatening to cut off the Internet for his children, but he quickly withdraws from it.”
As for participant Muhammad, he welcomed this step, describing it as “it will relieve us from the virtual world.”
For his part, participant Muhammad bin Ali said that there is no longer a need for these cables with the presence of Starlink.
But participant Al-Tayeb commented that this feature, namely Starlink, does not exist in Yemen, saying: “By God, it would be a disaster if the Internet was cut off in Yemen, especially because there is no alternative like Starlink because it is prohibited from being used in the northern regions and is available in the southern regions.”
Regarding the American position, the participant said, “The United States will welcome this step, which will enable it to use all types of bombs without taking the international response into account.”
Some could not bear this threat, such as participant Manu, who said angrily: “I seek refuge in God except the Internet.”
Participant Ibrahim Awad also welcomed the threat, considering that its implementation would relieve him from work, as he put it.
Risks threatening Hormuz cables
A Reuters news agency report addressed the risks threatening marine Internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz in light of the Iran-related war, warning that this corridor not only represents strategic importance for global energy supplies, but also constitutes an important part of the digital infrastructure linking Asia to Europe via the Gulf states and Egypt.
The report explained that submarine cables transmit about 99 percent of international data exchange traffic, according to the International Telecommunication Union, and are considered a basic pillar for communications, cloud services, and financial transactions, and their importance is increasing for the Gulf countries, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.
The report indicated the passage of several submarine cable systems through the Strait of Hormuz, including the (AAE-1) system, which connects Asia to Europe, the (FALCON) system, which connects India with the Gulf states and other regions, and the Gulf Bridge International network, which connects the Gulf countries. The presence of these routes in the region makes the safety of maritime communications an issue of economic and strategic importance.
