Iran’s Threats to Hormuz Undersea Cables Highlight Vulnerabilities of Data Chokepoints

Iranian state-linked media recently proposed charging operators for access to undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming jurisdiction over offshore territories. This suggestion follows warnings that these critical data routes are vulnerable points for Middle Eastern economies. The incident underscores the geopolitical risks facing the physical infrastructure of the internet, where over 95% of international data traffic travels through more than 500 undersea cables. These cables often converge in narrow maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, and Suez Canal, creating dangerous single points of failure. Disruptions, whether accidental or deliberate, can cause significant connectivity fragmentation, financial instability, and military communication breakdowns. The article highlights how digital infrastructure has become a strategic lever and potential target in modern conflict, with ambiguity surrounding sabotage complicating legal and military responses. Recent incidents in the Red Sea and Baltic Sea illustrate the tangible threats to global connectivity. The analysis emphasizes that the digital world relies on concrete, vulnerable physical foundations, making seabed infrastructure a new zone of geopolitical competition with far-reaching consequences for global security and economic stability.