Iran threatens to use submarine cables as a new weapon.. What is the impact of this?
He threatened Iranian Revolutionary Guard subjugating Fibre-optic cables for the Internet that pass over Strait of Hormuz to "Permits system"In a step that reflects the efforts of Iran to expand its control over one of the most important arteries of energy, trade and communications in the world.
It was not clear from the Iranian statements on whom Tehran might impose fees or permits, whether the cable laying companies, their owners, operators or users.
But Iran stressed its absolute sovereignty over the seabed and subsoil in its territorial waters, when it hinted on Monday at the possibility of subjecting the cables passing through Hormuz to the regime. Permits.
Strait of Hormuz Cables
The most important cables that pass through the Strait of Hormuz include a branch of the AAE-1 cable (Asia, Africa, Europe), which is a long submarine cable system linking Asia to Europe via the Middle East, and includes points from Hong Kong to France, passing through Egypt.
The two cables also pass through "Falcon" and"Golf bridge" Through the strait, they connect the Gulf states, including Iran, to India and East Africa, all the way to Egypt.
All types of data pass through these cables, from videos, emails, and social media to financial transactions and government communications, according to Alan Mauldin, research director at Telegeography, a company specializing in global communications data.
The potential for global disruption
The potential for global disruption remains limited, as data flowing between Europe and Asia does not pass through. Through the AAE-1 cable branch, according to Mauldin, because all the Gulf countries that use submarine cables in the strait have several alternatives for communications, as Alan Mauldin pointed out.
But he explained that any disturbance that may affect this particular branch of the cable may affect communications in Qatar, since it passes through Hormuz to reach Doha.
While the Gulf states do not rely entirely on these submarine cables to meet their international communications needs, the capacity of terrestrial networks may not be sufficient to handle the complete redirection of data traffic in the event of Marine systems in the Gulf were damaged, according to Mauldin.
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