At least seven major telecommunication cables run along the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz. They transmit vast 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 Persian Gulf countries from the internet, Bild writes.
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 intentional actions — several major cables in the Strait of Hormuz are simultaneously cut, 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 vast volumes of data.
The Falcon, AAE-1, TGN-Gulf, and SEA-ME-WE systems connect Persian Gulf countries with major data centers in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Due to diplomatic tensions with Tehran, all cables run in Omani waters, not Iranian.
According to Tasnim, Iran itself would also suffer if the cables were cut, but the country is less dependent on them and therefore "significantly less vulnerable." Officially, Iranian officials have not commented on the agency's report. However, it is believed that it can be considered a threat.
Analysts at the non-profit American think tank Stimson Center note that over 15% of the world's 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 on 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 even be felt in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
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