&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Subsea cable cuts in the Red Sea hit internet in India, Middle East: Could this be another front in the Israel–Hamas war?")
India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates are among the countries affected by recent subsea cable disruptions in the Red Sea, which caused significant internet outages across Asia and the Middle East. Service providers like Etisalat and Du were impacted, and Microsoft reported increased latency for users of its Azure cloud services in the Middle East. Given the location and timing of the disruptions, some observers have questioned whether the Houthi rebels may be involved, particularly in the broader context of the Israel–Hamas war in the region. However, no conclusive evidence has emerged to support this theory. Why are the Red Sea cables crucial for global communications? Could this be another facet of the war? Here is what you need to know:
How the Red Sea cable cuts are being felt
The undersea cables were severed near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (Sep 6). Following the disruption, internet traffic has been rerouted through alternative cables and satellite systems, resulting in slower connectivity and delayed response times, especially due to the longer and more congested routes now being used. Repairs to deep-sea cables can take several weeks, given the logistical and technical complexity.
Microsoft said the fibre cable cuts can take time to repair, adding it would ‘continuously monitor, rebalance, and optimise routing to reduce customer impact.’
Previous Houthi attacks on maritime assets on Red Sea
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In March 2024, a Houthi missile strike sank the Belize-registered ship Rubymar. Its anchor dragged along the seabed and damaged several subsea cables, including Seacom, AAE-1, and EIG. These cables collectively handled around 25 per cent of regional internet traffic.
While the Houthis have demonstrated the capability to damage subsea infrastructure, there is currently no official attribution linking them to this weekend's disruptions. The group has denied targeting undersea cables in past incidents, including similar cases in February and March 2024.
Amid the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, the Houthis have conducted numerous attacks on Red Sea shipping in order to pressure Israel and its Western allies. This context has fuelled speculation about their possible involvement in the recent cable cuts, but no clear evidence has emerged.
Why the Red Sea internet cables are critical for global communications
The Red Sea is a strategic chokepoint for global internet traffic, hosting a cluster of undersea cables linking Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. These cables are essential for cloud computing, high-speed financial transactions, and international communications.
The region around Red Sea currently hosts 14 active subsea cables, with six more under construction. Over 90 per cent of data traffic between Asia and Europe travels through this corridor.
Two key cables affected in recent incidents
The South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) operated by Tata Communications connects Southeast Asia to Europe via the Middle East. The India–Middle East–Western Europe (IMEWE) cable, managed by a consortium led by Alcatel-Lucent, links India to Europe through the Middle East. These high-capacity, low-latency cables are critical to maintaining stable global internet connectivity. Disruptions in this region ripple across multiple continents
High-tech communications affected in a fragile world
The weekend sea cable cuts raised suspicion against the Houthis, though no direct evidence has been presented. This means this could very well have been an accident. But regardless of the cause, the disruption highlights the fragility of the global internet infrastructure and the strategic importance of the Red Sea, in a fragile world hit by conflicts.
