Iran Plans to Target Gulf Undersea Cables, Risking Global Internet and Financial Collapse

Two senior Iranian security officials revealed to foreign media that the Tehran authorities have formulated a detailed strategic plan to target undersea communication cables in the Persian Gulf as direct attack objectives, should regional conflicts between Iran and the United States or Israel escalate into full-scale war. If this unprecedented threat were carried out, it would not only inflict a devastating blow to the digital infrastructure of the Middle East but also potentially disrupt the stability of global financial networks and internet communications. This development underscores how current geopolitical confrontations are gradually expanding from traditional military and energy facilities to critical digital nodes vital to the global lifeline.

For years, the Persian Gulf has served as a geopolitical powder keg, controlling the chokepoints of global fossil energy while acting as a crucial corridor for undersea fiber-optic communications linking Europe, Asia, and Africa. Dozens of undersea cables traverse the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, carrying massive volumes of global internet traffic and financial transaction data. The public confirmation by Iranian security officials that undersea cables have been designated as strike targets reflects Tehran’s search for extreme asymmetric warfare tactics in the face of overwhelming military pressure from the United States and Israel. By destroying undersea communications, Iran intends to exert immense economic and political pressure on Western nations that rely on the digital economy and global connectivity, forcing them to pay a steep price.

The modern international society’s reliance on undersea cables far exceeds public perception. Over 90 percent of cross-border data transmission—including routine internet browsing, the operations of multinational corporations, and financial message exchanges that underpin international trade and the banking system—depends heavily on these fiber-optic lines laid on the deep seabed. If undersea cables in the Persian Gulf were deliberately destroyed, external communications for Middle Eastern nations would be paralyzed. This could trigger a domino effect, leading to severe bandwidth shortages and skyrocketing latency on networks connecting Asia and Europe, potentially causing regional or even global internet outages and creating incalculable chaos in global supply chains and financial markets.

In fact, the security of undersea communication cables has become a focal point of intense international concern in recent years. As great power competition intensifies, the vulnerability of deep-sea infrastructure has been laid bare. Cable breakages suspected to be the result of deliberate sabotage have occurred in other waters, prompting high-level alerts from intelligence agencies worldwide. The Persian Gulf, being a narrow sea with relatively shallow depths, leaves its undersea cables particularly difficult to defend. The claim by Iranian officials that they possess detailed plans implies that Tehran has conducted substantial tactical assessments and may have already identified the specific coordinates and methods for destroying these critical nodes. This will undoubtedly compel the U.S. military and nations surrounding the Persian Gulf to significantly enhance the defense and monitoring of critical maritime infrastructure.

The release of this threat also reflects the grim reality that the Middle East conflict could spiral out of control at any moment. Since last year, direct and indirect conflicts between Iran and Israel have continued to escalate, with frequent cross-border fire exchanges involving armed groups in the region. Although all parties have attempted to maintain strategic restraint under international mediation, the shadow of a full-scale war remains ever-present. By adding undersea cables to its strike list at this juncture, Iran is engaging in both substantive military intimidation and psychological warfare. The aim is to warn the U.S.-Israel alliance that any military action against Iranian soil will trigger unpredictable global domino effects, forcing the international community to more carefully assess the costs of intervening in the Middle East situation.

Overall, the attack plan revealed by Iranian officials pushes the threat of geopolitical conflict onto a new digital and infrastructure battlefield. Undersea cables have always been regarded as the invisible yet vital neural network of the globe. If they become casualties of war, the victims will not be limited to the belligerents but will extend to the entire international society that relies on digitization for survival. This warning once again highlights the urgent need to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East and prevent the resumption of hostilities. Otherwise, should the conflict spiral out of control, the digital arteries upon which modern civilization depends will be the first to be struck, leading to catastrophic and irreversible consequences.

(Source: Central News Agency)