Iran Threatens Undersea Internet Cables in Hormuz and Red Sea Corridors
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to target critical undersea internet cables running through the Hormuz and Red Sea corridors, which carry the majority of global internet traffic. In response, major companies like Google and Meta have activated contingency rerouting plans, increasing operational costs and highlighting vulnerabilities in global digital infrastructure. This threat raises significant concerns for global internet stability and security, with potential widespread economic and communication disruptions.
TLDR: Iran’s IRGC warned on March 28 that critical undersea cable infrastructure in Hormuz will not be spared from attack. Cables like FALCON, AAE-1, and 2Africa Pearls carry nearly all global internet traffic through contested waterways. Google and Meta activated contingency rerouting plans after the threat, raising costs across cable insurance markets. Starlink’s 9,500-satellite LEO network is gaining traction on rerouted tankers, with SpaceX eyeing a $1.75T IPO valuation. Undersea internet cables connecting Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa face serious threats. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a stark warning on March 28. The statement said critical infrastructure in the Hormuz and Red Sea corridors would not be spared. The cables at risk carry nearly all global internet traffic. No cable has been cut yet, but Google and Meta have already activated contingency rerouting plans in response. Cable Networks at the Center of the Standoff The cables at risk include FALCON, Gulf Bridge International, Europe India Gateway, SEA-ME-WE 6, AAE-1, and FLAG. These run through the Hormuz corridor. In the Red Sea, EIG, AAE-1, Seacom, SMW-4, SMW-5, SMW-6, IMEWE, and 2Africa Pearls are also exposed. Together, they form the backbone of global digital commerce. Analyst Shanaka Anslem Perera noted the full scope of what flows through these cables. “Your bank transfers. Your stock trades. Your cloud computing,” he wrote. JUST IN: Iran just threatened to cut the undersea internet cables running through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Ninety-five to ninety-seven percent of global internet traffic does not travel by satellite. It travels through physical glass fibres buried one to two metres… pic.twitter.com/2KnbSLKzsv — Shanaka Anslem Perera (@shanaka86) March 28, 2026 The data connects every financial market on earth to every other. Past events show how quickly disruptions can escalate. In 2008, eight cables were severed off the Egyptian coast. Between ...
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