Ships loiter near subsea cables amid Iran's warnings to Trump
Summary
Windward tracked three Iran-linked sanctioned tankers and an Iranian fishing boat near undersea internet cables in the Gulf of Oman during October, the Financial Times reported. The vessel movements and periods with location transponders switched off have raised concern that Iran could target the cables, but the reported activity does not establish that an attack is planned. Iranian officials have threatened the cables amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel.Key Facts
- Windward used vessel-tracking data and satellite images to monitor the ships near cable routes.
- Two sanctioned tankers reportedly spent days drifting over cable corridors and carried no commercial cargo.
- Some ships switched off their automatic identification system transponders, which normally broadcast their locations and other information.
- Six active subsea cables cross the Strait of Hormuz, and two more cables have segments under construction in the region.
- Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar rely entirely on subsea telecommunications connections through the Strait of Hormuz to connect with the outside world.
- About one-third of India's westbound internet traffic travels through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
- An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson warned on October 20 about seven major cables running through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian officials had previously threatened to impose fees on internet cables owned by US technology companies and other operators.
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