Iran has been making plans to damage undersea communications cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. and Israel launch new attacks against the country, two senior Iranian security officials told reports.
The alarm has coincided with fears that critical communications infrastructure will be at risk if the effort to achieve diplomatic solutions between Tehran and Washington is unsuccessful. The officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity were not able to detail the chances for such an operation or where it could occur.
If Iran is hit, it will likely work to block repairs that could disrupt communications lines, such as the Internet, and exacerbate the situation, one official said. The official had cautioned the U.S. against further aggravating the situation, saying Tehran had access to the undersea cables, and could blow them up.
Strait of Hormuz Cables May Be Targeted
In a hint of an amplification that time permits, Yadollah Javani, deputy head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) political affairs department, indicated on Wednesday that if Iran was attacked, it could strike seven big internet cables under the Strait of Hormuz.
The use of undersea communications systems as a prelude to a larger scale conflict has been suggested by the statements. But the Iranian officials wouldn’t reveal details of their operations and plans have not been independently verified.
Potential Impact on Global Internet Traffic
Undersea cables carry approximately 99% of global internet traffic, according to the International Telecommunication Union, highlighting their importance to international communications.
The possible regional repercussions, however, of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz might be contained internationally. Less than 1 percent of international bandwidth flows through the strait, said Alan Mauldin, the telecommunications research firm TeleGeography’s research director.
Even if targeted cables are not disrupted, however, regional connectivity and communications services may be impacted depending on alternate route independence of targeted cables.
The alerts highlight the threats to critical digital infrastructure in the face of heightened tensions between Iran, the U.S. and Israel.