Several Countries Could Go 'Offline' in an Instant; Fears Mount Following Iran's Threat

Iran War: The impact of the ongoing conflict involving Iran could now be felt on the internet, following earlier disruptions to LPG supplies. Several reports suggest that Iran may damage the internet cables laid beneath the Red Sea.

Iran War: The ongoing conflict between Israel, the U.S., and Iran poses a looming threat to global internet connectivity. According to reports, Iran has issued a threat to damage the internet cables situated in the Red Sea. If this were to occur, internet speeds in numerous countries across the globe would be severely impacted. While Iranian officials have not directly confirmed this, the matter is currently being widely discussed on prominent Twitter handles.

Why is there a threat?

According to reports, Iran has stated that it may damage the internet cables if Gulf nations continue to harbor U.S. troops. The internet cables running through the Red Sea handle approximately 17 percent of the world's internet traffic. These very cables provide connectivity to the AI ​​hubs established by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. If these cables are damaged, the world could face internet outages lasting for several months. Meta's contractors have already withdrawn from the Persian Gulf region.

What would happen if the internet cables are damaged?

The Red Sea is home to a vast network of fiber-optic cables that connect Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, handling approximately 30 percent of the region's internet traffic. The connectivity provided by these cables facilitates everything from financial transactions to video calls, emails, and AI workloads. They also serve to interconnect various emerging AI infrastructures across the globe.

Will India be affected as well?

If the internet cables are damaged, India, too, will feel the impact. Millions of people in India rely on the internet for their daily activities. In such a scenario, if cables are damaged, it is inevitable that internet speeds, as well as cloud services and digital business operations, will be impacted. Furthermore, if the damage is extensive and takes a long time to repair, it will have a profound impact on everything from online transactions to cloud infrastructure.