Iran Has Plans to Target Gulf Undersea Cables if Attacked, Officials Say

Iran has developed plans to attack undersea communications cables in the Persian Gulf if the United States or Israel renews strikes against the country, Reuters reported, citing two senior Iranian security officials who spoke anonymously.

The officials provided few details about how or where such attacks would occur. One said Tehran would also try to prevent repairs to damaged cables, prolonging disruptions to internet access and other communications. The official said Iran would have “no more red lines” if attacked and warned that potential targets could range from undersea cables to military bases, including covert facilities.

Yadollah Javani, deputy head of political affairs for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has separately said Iran could target seven major internet cables under the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure were attacked, according to PCMag.

Undersea fiber-optic cables carry large volumes of international internet traffic. Alan Mauldin, research director at TeleGeography, told Reuters that successful attacks could slow internet services and disrupt financial transactions, e-commerce and cloud computing. He said the extent of the disruption would depend on the location and severity of the damage, operators’ ability to reroute traffic and the capacity of alternative connections.

The reported plans come amid tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States, with Tehran warning that renewed military action would bring a broader response.