eFinder

eFinder

Home › Iran-US Relations › Article

Iran is threatening undersea cables. The world’s ‘digital chokepoints’ have never been more vulnerable

The Conversation · · 731 words · By Meredith Primrose Jones
Iran-US Relations Geopolitical Security Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability

The article discusses the strategic vulnerability of undersea internet cables, particularly those passing through geopolitical chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. It outlines the potential economic, financial, and military consequences that would result from the disruption of this physical digital infrastructure.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/iran-is-threatening-undersea-cables-the-worlds-digit…

analyticsAnalysis

30%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Appeal to Fear 80% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

6 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 5
verified Verified 1
check_circle
“Iranian state-linked media floated a plan to charge the operators of undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz for access to what they say is Iran’s offshore territory.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results confirm that Iranian state-linked media (specifically an IRGC-linked outlet) proposed charging operators of undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz for access to offshore territory.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Print article. Early this week, Iranian state-linked media floated a plan to charge the operators of undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz for access to what they say is Iran’s offshore ter…
https://theconversation.com/iran-is-threatening-undersea-cab…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked media outlet has signaled that submarine fiber-optic cables running through the Strait of Hormuz remain in Tehran’s crosshairs. Tehran views Hormuz not only…
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-linked-media-flo…
check_circle
“the web of more than 500 undersea cables that carries more than 95% of international data traffic.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Slashdot and a 'Deep Facts' guide) confirm that roughly 500 fiber-optic cables carry more than 95% of international data traffic.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — .500 may refer to: .500 S&W Magnum, a revolver cartridge .500 S&W Special, a revolver cartridge .500 Wyoming Express, a revolver cartridge .500 Linebaugh, a revolver cartridge .500 Maximum, a revolve…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.500
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — 500 may refer to: 500 (number) 500 BC AD 500
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — S&P 500 (Standard and Poor's 500) is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 leading companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&P_500
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Narrow sealanes through the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Suez Canal, and the Strait of Hormuz also function as “digital chokepoints”.”
VERIFIED
Wikipedia and multiple web sources identify the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, and the Strait of Hormuz as major global maritime chokepoints, and specific reports explicitly label them as 'digital chokepoints' due to the concentration of submarine cables.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bab-el-Mandeb is a strait and a major global chokepoint between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and by ext…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bab-el-Mandeb
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Red Sea crisis is an ongoing armed conflict and maritime crisis instigated by the Houthis, an armed group in Yemen. The Houthis began launching missiles and armed drones at Israel in response to t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea_crisis
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“In 2024, submarine cable incidents in the Red Sea disrupted around 25% of the internet traffic between Europe and Asia.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources explicitly state that submarine cable incidents in the Red Sea in 2024 disrupted approximately 25% of internet traffic between Europe and Asia.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1) is a 25,000 km submarine communications cable system from South East Asia to Europe across Egypt, connecting Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AAE-1
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Red Sea crisis is an ongoing armed conflict and maritime crisis instigated by the Houthis, an armed group in Yemen. The Houthis began launching missiles and armed drones at Israel in response to t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea_crisis
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SEA-ME-WE 4) is an optical fibre submarine communications cable system that carries telecommunications between Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEA-ME-WE_4
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“cases such as cable breakages in the Baltic Sea often attributed to Russian action”
CORROBORATED
Wikipedia documents the November 2024 Baltic Sea cable disruptions, and web search results explicitly attribute these breakages to Russian action, including a specific mention of a Russian-linked ship (Eagle S) dragging its anchor.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 17–18 November 2024, two submarine telecommunication cables, the BCS East-West Interlink and C-Lion1 fibre-optic cables, were disrupted in the Baltic Sea. The incidents involving both cables occurr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Baltic_Sea_submarine_cabl…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North and Central European Pl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, the Baltic Asse…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_states
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“The US–Iran conflict has already delayed construction of new undersea cables.”
CORROBORATED
Bloomberg and Wikipedia (referencing a 2026 conflict) confirm that the conflict between the US and Iran has delayed the construction of undersea internet cable projects in the Persian Gulf.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran targeting milit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Undersea Internet Cable Projects Are Getting Tangled in the Iran War. If construction ever resumes in the Persian Gulf, tech companies will have a new headache to deal with: Unexploded missiles and mi…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-13/iran-war-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — US-Iran ceasefire under strain as Gulf states report drone attacks.Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on March 11 that they had targeted several US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain during the war with the Un…
https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/israel-iran-conflict/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.