Iran warns Gulf cables and data centres could be targeted amid Red Sea tensions
Iran's security chief has warned that cables, data centres and artificial intelligence facilities across the region could be attacked if war with the United States erupts again. The warning comes as fighting continues in Yemen near Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow strait on the Red Sea through which a large share of global internet traffic passes. The remarks have sharpened concern about the vulnerability of digital infrastructure linking Europe and Asia.
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Mohsen Rezaei, identified as Iran's security chief, made the warning in the context of renewed regional tensions and the continuing conflict around the Red Sea corridor. The supporting material says more than 90 percent of data capacity between Europe and Asia passes through cables under the Red Sea, according to estimates from the research firm TeleGeography. It also says the cables enter the sea through Bab al-Mandeb, which is about 26 kilometres wide at its narrowest point.
The immediate concern is not only the physical security of undersea cables, but also the resilience of the data centres that support banking apps, cloud services and other digital systems. The source material says data centres are large, fixed targets and can be rendered inoperable without the servers themselves being destroyed. It adds that repairs to cables in a war zone require permits and safety guarantees, making any disruption potentially prolonged.
The warning matters because the Red Sea has become one of the world's most sensitive infrastructure corridors. Any disruption there can affect several countries at once, given the concentration of traffic through a small number of routes. The issue also has economic implications, since data centres and undersea cables underpin financial services, communications and cross-border business activity.
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The supporting rows link the warning to earlier fighting involving Yemen's internationally recognised government and the Houthis, including clashes at Bab al-Mandeb. They also say the capture of Yemeni territory along the Red Sea coastline last month by the Iran-backed Houthis raised concerns about the safety of internet cables linking Europe and Asia. That has added a digital dimension to a conflict already affecting shipping and regional security.
The material further says data centres and US business interests were hit in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates during the US-Israel war on Iran. Tehran said those attacks were in response to US strikes on Iranian civilian installations. It also notes that active hostilities have largely ended since a June memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, although attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have continued.
The broader backdrop is a region where maritime chokepoints, undersea cables and cloud infrastructure are increasingly intertwined. Bab al-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz are both strategic routes, and the source material suggests that pressure on one can quickly spill into concerns about the other. The warning also reflects how modern conflict can extend beyond military targets to the digital systems that support everyday economic activity.
What remains unclear is whether the warning signals an immediate operational threat or a broader deterrent message. The source material does not say that any new attack has taken place, and it does not provide details of specific targets or timing. What to watch next is whether tensions around Bab al-Mandeb, the Red Sea cable routes or Gulf data infrastructure intensify further.
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