[66983] The tensions surrounding submarine internet cables in the Persian Gulf and Iran's power struggles

Tensions in the Persian Gulf: Is Iran turning internet cables into a "strategic weapon"?

It has been reported that the telecommunications company Alcatel has halted maintenance operations for submarine internet cables in the Persian Gulf, due to what was described as "insecurity and threats" from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. According to Iran International, authorities in Iran are demanding that foreign telecommunications operators pay "protection money" for the security of these infrastructures (according to this report).

At the same time, a strategic debate is raging over Tehran's ability to carry out such a move. While sources close to the regime, such as the newspaper وطن امروز, present control over the cables as a "new bargaining chip" and a "digital pressure lever" that grants Iran power against the West (according to the newspaper), Western analysis is fundamentally different.

Iran International cites a report from "The Guardian" relying on former American officials, who claim that this is an unlikely scenario. Experts argue that Iran lacks the technology required to cut these cables without detection, and that these cables are located in routes far from the coast where there is a constant presence of American aerial patrols (according to the source).

The importance of the infrastructure is highlighted by data indicating that at least seven major communication cables pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and many of them are essential for the development of artificial intelligence in the Gulf states. While the Iranian newspaper identified with the conservative line warns that any damage to this infrastructure will cause "economic damage of hundreds of millions of dollars" and disrupt the global digital economy, Western intelligence officials cast doubt on Tehran's operational capability and emphasize the complexity of the technical action required.