Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened to place internet fibre-optic cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz under a new ‘permit system’, announcing tighter Iranian control of a key global route for energy, trade, and digital communications.
Among the major submarine cables crossing the Strait is the AAE-1 (Asia-Africa-Europe 1) cable, a significant international fibre-optic network linking Asia and Europe through the Middle East. The cable connects locations stretching from Hong Kong to Marseille via Egypt.
Other important systems passing through the Strait include the Falcon cable system and the Gulf Bridge cable, which connect Gulf countries, including Iran, with India and East Africa before extending onward to Egypt.
“These cables carry all types of data, from videos, emails and social media traffic to financial transactions and government communications,” said Alan Mauldin, research director at TeleGeography.
Mauldin noted that the likelihood of a major global internet disruption remains limited because most Europe-Asia data flows do not rely on the Hormuz branch of the AAE-1 cable. He added that Gulf nations connected through these submarine networks maintain several alternative communication routes.
However, he warned that any disruption affecting the cable branch passing through Hormuz could significantly impact communications in Qatar, as the route extends through the Strait on its way to Doha.