Sanctioned tankers and an Iranian fishing boat loiter over Gulf of Oman internet cables
Four countries and a third of India's westbound internet traffic depend on links that cross the contested Strait of Hormuz.
Tracking data from maritime intelligence firm Windward shows three sanctioned tankers and an Iranian fishing boat lingering over subsea internet cables in the Gulf of Oman, close to the Strait of Hormuz, during October. Analysts read the pattern as a possible sign that Tehran could target undersea infrastructure if US and Israeli strikes resume. Six active cables cross the contested strait, with two more under construction, and the risk matters beyond the region: Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar rely entirely on links through the chokepoint, and about a third of India's westbound internet traffic also passes through the Persian Gulf and the strait.
Why it matters
Readers who follow the region's internet infrastructure should note that the cables at risk are not only a local concern. Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar depend entirely on links through the strait, so disruption there would cut them off. The vessels' presence over the cables during October, combined with the stakes for the countries that rely on them, turns a maritime security story into a question about the resilience of the Gulf's connectivity.
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