Iran has developed a detailed plan to attack submarine telecommunications cables in the Persian Gulf in the event of renewed military strikes by the U.S. and Israel.
This was reported by Reuters, citing two high-ranking officials from Iranian security agencies who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity
Tehran also plans to hinder repairs to damaged lines in order to prolong communication disruptions as long as possible.
The agency’s sources did not disclose the methods to be used for the operations or the exact locations of the planned targets.
On October 21, the deputy head of the political department of the IRGC stated that seven major internet cables laid along the seabed of the Strait of Hormuz could become potential targets.
According to data from the United Nations International Telecommunication Union, approximately 99% of global internet traffic passes through undersea cables. At the same time, less than 1% of international network bandwidth passes through the Strait of Hormuz, so the global consequences of any damage would be limited.
For Gulf countries, however, simultaneous damage to several lines could cause slower internet connections and disruptions to financial transactions, e-commerce, and cloud services. The extent of the disruptions will depend on operators’ ability to reroute traffic via alternative routes.
Restoring communications amid hostilities may also be complicated by limited access for repair vessels to territorial waters, rising insurance costs, and the need to obtain special permits. This creates the risk of prolonged disruptions even after the attacks cease.
In addition to cable networks, Tehran is considering strikes against U.S. digital infrastructure in the region. Data centers and facilities related to artificial intelligence have previously been cited as potential targets.
Similar attacks have already occurred. In March 2026, Iranian strikes damaged two Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE, as well as infrastructure near the company’s data center in Bahrain. At that time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps named American technology companies—Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Nvidia—among potential targets.
Iran expects that concerns over multibillion-dollar investments in the region’s technology infrastructure will prompt them to oppose a resumption of hostilities.
Earlier, Militarnyi reported that Iran is strengthening the protection of its nuclear facilities, rebuilding its military capabilities, and preparing the population for a possible escalation with the U.S. In particular, Mohsen Rezaei estimated the value of technology infrastructure linked to American companies in the Middle East at over $2 trillion and warned of the possibility of its destruction in the event of a new war.
Source: Militaryni
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