Updated 24 October 2026 at 07:49 IST
Iran has detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if war with the US and Israel resumes, Iranian security officials told Reuters. Attacks could disrupt internet services, financial transactions and cloud computing, while delayed repairs could prolong connectivity problems. After Energy Security, Iran’s Cable Threat Puts Gulf Internet at Risk | Image:
Reuters Dubai: Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the United States and Israel attack Iran again, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters.
Their comments followed warnings by Iranian officials that undersea cables in the region could become targets in any renewed conflict if diplomacy with Washington collapses.
The two Iranian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave few details and did not say how or where exactly Tehran would carry out such attacks. But one of them said Iran would aim to prevent repairs after any attacks to prolong disruptions to communications, including internet connections.
“If Iran is attacked, there will be no more red lines … from undersea cables to military bases, including covert ones,” one of the officials said.
The official warned Washington not to “play with fire”, and said Iran had full access to the undersea cables and could easily destroy them.
Yadollah Javani, the deputy head of political affairs for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), said on Wednesday that Iran could target seven major internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure came under attack.
Undersea cables carry around 99% of global internet traffic, according to the International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency. But the global impact of such attacks by Iran could be limited as less than 1% of international bandwidth passes through the Strait of Hormuz, said Alan Mauldin, research director at telecommunications research firm TeleGeography.
The strait separates Iran and Oman, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
The US Department of State and Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the Iranian security officials’ remarks. There was no immediate comment from Gulf states.
‘Stronger Response’
The plans for possible attacks on undersea cables reflect a conviction in Iran’s leadership that a renewed US military campaign would have to be met with a stronger response than before.
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