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Shkruar nga Mauro Evangelisti
Through the Tasnim agency, Iran has exposed the "weak points" of digital infrastructure in the Strait of Hormuz. Experts warn of serious consequences for artificial intelligence and financial security in the region...
After paralyzing a significant part of the oil trade by closing the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is threatening to cut the undersea cables on which the internet connections - and therefore the cloud, banking and security systems - of the Gulf countries depend.
According to the website "Iran International" (based in London and a voice of the opposition to the ayatollahs), the Tasnim agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has clearly mapped the underwater internet cables and cloud infrastructures of the Persian Gulf.
This move seems like a thinly veiled warning. The region's digital backbone could now be in Iran's sights.
What are submarine cables used for?
Cables in the region guarantee internet services to all countries, from the United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia, and from Bahrain to Kuwait and Qatar. Pointing to the map, the Pasdarans say: “Look, if we want, we can hit this weak point too.”
This is another tool of pressure, while negotiations between the United States of America and Iran have reached an impasse. The Tasnim Agency further emphasizes, speaking on behalf of the Pasdaran, that the concentration of many internet cables in a single narrow passage has made the Strait of Hormuz a sensitive point for the region's digital economy.
In places where cables, after crossing the strait, connect to coastal stations and major data centers, simultaneous damage to several main lines - whether from accidents or deliberate actions - could cause severe service disruptions throughout the Persian Gulf.
Meanwhile, in its analysis, the Israeli media outlet "Jerusalem Post" notes: "It has been found that several systems, including at least seven major communications cables, serve the Gulf states. Tasnim specifically mentioned the Falcon, AAE-1, TGN-Gulf and SEA-ME-WE cables, which connect a large cluster of data centers in the region with the Middle East, Europe and Asia."
Previous attacks
According to the Tasnim news agency, Iranian drones have already struck data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Now, retaliation against American technology giants that have infrastructure in the region is also being mentioned as a possibility.
The Israeli daily "Jerusalem Post" writes that Gulf states depend heavily on cables that connect them to global networks and support financial systems, cloud technology, and artificial intelligence infrastructures across the region.
The region has invested heavily in Artificial Intelligence, and cables under the Strait of Hormuz enable data centers to communicate with distant destinations such as Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Undersea cables are the fastest way to transmit data on the internet. Even limited damage to a few major cables could slow or completely disrupt connectivity in the Middle East, South Asia and even parts of Europe. According to the Jerusalem Post, past incidents show that repairs can take weeks or months, especially in disputed waters where access is limited.
Masha Kotkin, a geopolitical and energy analyst, published an article on the website of the “Stimson Center” (a well-known research group in Washington), where she emphasized, among other things: “The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf countries consider investments in artificial intelligence and information technology services as a way to create a skilled workforce and diversify their economies, which currently depend on oil and gas extraction.”
What can happen now?
The conflict with Iran has exposed technological infrastructure to new and serious threats. Iranian drones have already struck data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran has also threatened to cut undersea cables and mine the Strait of Hormuz in response to possible troop landings. Other retaliatory measures have also been recorded against American technology companies operating in the Middle East following the assassination of Iranian officials.
The risks of war have already blocked work on laying new undersea cables in the Persian Gulf, mirroring the situation in the Red Sea, where the threat of attacks by the Houthis has delayed the construction of all cables since 2024.
These infrastructures are vital for the countries of the region, Masha Kotkin's analysis further emphasizes, because Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and, to a lesser extent, other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, need cables to provide digital services and artificial intelligence to both local and international customers. Investment in data centers and artificial intelligence is now comparable to strategic investments in large commercial air hubs./ Pamphlet from "Il Messaggero"
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