Cut undersea fiber optic cables in the Red Sea have caused connectivity problems in parts of Asia and the Middle East, experts said on Sunday. While the exact causes remain unclear, the incident has already caused widespread concern, as it is linked to tensions in the region and the actions of Houthi .
Undersea cables: Suspicions of sabotage
The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to target maritime infrastructure, describing such actions as a lever to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza. Although they have previously denied direct involvement in cable disruptions, fears of possible sabotage are growing, especially after their confirmed attacks on commercial ships in the region.
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The backbone of the global internet
Undersea cables are the backbone of the internet. They carry nearly all of the world's data traffic, surpassing both satellite connections and terrestrial lines in capacity. Although providers have alternative routes, any failure at such a point causes delays, capacity losses and slower speeds for millions of users.
Confirmed impacts
Microsoft warned on its service status page that users in the Middle East may experience increased latency due to damage to undersea cables in the Red Sea. However , the company clarified that traffic that does not pass through the region has not been affected.
Meanwhile, independent organization NetBlocks , which monitors internet access worldwide, confirmed significant connectivity degradation in countries such as India and Pakistan . The failures concern the SMW4 (South-East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe 4) and IMEWE (India – Middle East – Western Europe) systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
These two lines are critical communication channels: the first is operated by Tata Communications, while the second by an international consortium under Alcatel Submarine Networks. However, neither company has officially commented on the incident.
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Silence from governments and companies
Despite the extent of the problems, governments such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have not officially acknowledged the outage, despite user complaints of reduced speeds. In Kuwait, authorities admitted that the FALCON GCX has been cut, causing damage to the country's network.
How are cables cut?
Undersea cables are exposed to a variety of risks. Often, damage is due to accidents, such as ship anchors pulling or cutting the lines. However, there is also a lack of scenarios of deliberate attacks, especially in areas of geopolitical tension. Their repair is extremely difficult and time-consuming, since it requires locating the point, special ships and diving crews - a process that can take weeks.
The geopolitical scene
The Red Sea has become a flashpoint in the Israel-Hamas war. Since the fall of 2023, the Houthis have targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones, sinking at least four and killing eight sailors. Yemen's internationally recognized government says the attacks on undersea cables cannot be separated from the Houthis' overall strategy of escalation in the region.
Yemen's Information Minister, Moammar al-Eryani, stressed that the international community must react decisively to protect "thedigital infrastructure that is the lifeline of the modern world."
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The broader dimension
Recent outages highlight the strategic importance of undersea cables. Although often left out of public discussion, these cables carry over 95% of international data traffic. Therefore, protecting them is not only a technical issue but also a national security for every country.
The ability to control or destroy such lines can be a tool of pressure in geopolitical conflicts, with impacts on the economy, communications and the daily lives of citizens.
The Red Sea incident is a dramatic reminder of how fragile the global internet infrastructure is. As tensions in the region remain high and threats multiply, the need for international cooperation to protect undersea cables becomes more urgent than ever.
This case may be a turning point: from simple fault-finding to a more strategic approach that incorporates surveillance technology, international conditions, and increased investment in alternative data paths. Because, in a world that depends on connectivity every day, the internet is no longer just a tool, but a vital global infrastructure.
