Escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel raise risks to critical subsea internet infrastructure.
Gulf nations like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia could face major connectivity disruptions due to heavy reliance on these routes.
India may see slower speeds and higher latency as data reroutes through longer global paths if cables are damaged.
The Middle East is seeing rising tensions amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict. With global oil shipment being the hot topic amid the Strait of Hormuz debate, the internet can be the next thing that can be affected. For the unversed, the narrow waterway also hosts key undersea fibre optic cables which carry a big share of global data traffic. With military activity intensifying in the region, concerns about internet connectivity are also on the rise, as it can impact multiple countries, including India.
SurveyGrowing risk to undersea cables
The ongoing standoff has allegedly resulted in increased naval deployments and threats to maritime routes. This increases the possibility of accidental or intentional damage to submarine cables laid across the submarine head. Due to the strait’s shallow depth, these cables are more vulnerable to hazards such as sea mines, anchors, and military operations.
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Such damage may not be repaired immediately. Specialised vessels required for cable restoration may face delays entering conflict zones, potentially resulting in weeks-long outages. Iran has yet to make an official statement about it.
Regional and India impact
The countries in the Gulf region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, are said to be among the worst hit due to the reliance on these cable systems for banking, cloud computing and data services. Iraq might also face heavy disruptions.
India is not directly located in the Gulf, but a small portion of westbound internet traffic passes through these networks. Any disruption could result in slower internet speeds, higher latency, and potential service outages for users and businesses.
It must be noted that the complete internet shutdown is unlikely. But the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz can force data to reroute through longer paths, which can affect global financial systems, cloud platforms, and AI operations.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
