Iran Has Prepared Detailed Plans to Target Gulf Undersea Cables if Conflict Resumes

Iranian Security Officials Outline Contingency Measures

Iran has prepared detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Persian Gulf if the United States and Israel launch renewed military strikes against its infrastructure, according to two senior Iranian security officials cited by Reuters.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not disclose specific geographic coordinates, target locations, or operational methodologies for how such actions would be carried out. However, one official stated that Tehran would actively seek to prevent or delay post-attack repairs, an approach intended to prolong regional disruptions to internet access and telecommunications services.

“If Iran is attacked, there will be no more red lines,” one of the security officials said, warning Washington against “playing with fire” and claiming that Iran possesses full access to the undersea cable network.

Context of Regional Threats

The disclosures follow similar warnings issued earlier in the week by senior military leadership within Iran. Yadollah Javani, the deputy head of political affairs for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that Tehran could target seven major internet cables located beneath the Strait of Hormuz should Iranian facilities come under attack.

Security officials indicated that regional allies of the United States should hold Washington responsible for any potential damage to critical digital infrastructure stemming from renewed hostilities. In addition to undersea cables, officials suggested that potential retaliatory measures could extend to regional military installations, including covert facilities.

Potential Impact on Connectivity

According to data from the United Nations International Telecommunication Union, undersea fiber-optic cables carry approximately 99 percent of global internet traffic. Telecommunications analysts note, however, that the immediate global impact of strikes within the Persian Gulf would likely remain localized. Research from telecommunications firm TeleGeography estimates that less than 1 percent of international network bandwidth passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

While worldwide connectivity would largely bypass major disruptions, simultaneous damage to multiple lines running through the Gulf could impair local internet speeds, cloud services, and financial transactions across nearby nations. Analysts indicate that the severity of such disruptions would depend heavily on the ability of regional operators to reroute traffic and the speed with which repair vessels could safely access territorial waters amid ongoing security restrictions.