What's happened
Since September 6, 2025, multiple subsea fiber-optic cables in the Red Sea near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait have been cut, causing widespread internet slowdowns and increased latency across the Middle East, South Asia, and parts of Africa. Key cables affected include SEA-ME-WE-4, IMEWE, and FALCON GCX. Microsoft and NetBlocks confirm traffic rerouting but warn of ongoing delays. The damage coincides with regional tensions involving Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
What's behind the headline?
Strategic Vulnerability of Global Internet Infrastructure
The recent Red Sea cable cuts expose the fragility of the global internet’s physical backbone, especially in geopolitically sensitive regions. Despite redundancy and rerouting capabilities, the incident highlights how concentrated subsea cable corridors remain critical single points of failure.
Geopolitical Dimensions
The timing and location of the cuts amid ongoing Houthi attacks against Israel-linked targets suggest a potential strategic dimension beyond accidental damage. While the Houthis have denied responsibility in the past, their recent acknowledgment of the cuts and history of maritime attacks indicate a deliberate campaign to disrupt regional connectivity.
Economic and Technological Implications
The disruptions have immediate economic impacts, slowing financial transactions and cloud services across multiple countries. The Middle East’s ambitions to become a digital hub reliant on ultra-low latency networks face challenges, underscoring the need for diversified infrastructure including terrestrial routes and satellite backups like Starlink.
Future Outlook
This event will accelerate investments in alternative digital corridors and satellite internet as critical redundancies. However, geopolitical instability in the Red Sea region will continue to pose risks to subsea infrastructure. Repair timelines of up to six weeks will prolong disruptions, emphasizing the urgency of resilient network design.
Impact on Users
End users in affected countries will experience intermittent slowdowns and higher latency for weeks. Businesses and governments must prepare for such vulnerabilities as part of digital risk management strategies.
What the papers say
Jay Hilotin of Gulf News details the scale of the disruption, noting that "multiple undersea submarine cables in the Red Sea had been severed, causing widespread internet disruptions across parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa," and highlights the role of commercial shipping activity as a likely cause. Justin Varghese, also from Gulf News, emphasizes the economic stakes, quoting David Abt of FTI Consulting: "Subsea cables are no longer just telecom assets – they are strategic infrastructure, indispensable to economic growth, national security, and making the UAE’s AI ambitions a reality."
The Japan Times and Al Jazeera confirm the technical impacts, with Microsoft Azure rerouting traffic but warning of "increased latency," and NetBlocks reporting degraded connectivity in India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Al Jazeera also notes Microsoft's ongoing investigation into its cloud services amid regional surveillance concerns.
The Times of Israel and South China Morning Post provide geopolitical context, linking the cable cuts to Yemen’s Houthi rebels’ campaign against Israel, with the Houthis acknowledging the cuts via their media outlet. The NY Post and AP News echo these concerns, noting the rebels’ history of maritime attacks and the strategic implications of targeting subsea cables.
Together, these sources paint a comprehensive picture of a complex incident at the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and regional conflict, with significant implications for global internet resilience.
How we got here
Subsea cables carry over 95% of global internet traffic, making them critical infrastructure. The Red Sea corridor is a vulnerable chokepoint due to heavy shipping traffic and geopolitical tensions. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been engaged in attacks targeting Israel and maritime routes since late 2023, raising concerns about deliberate cable damage. Repairing subsea cables is complex and can take weeks due to conflict zones and logistical challenges.
Go deeper
- How do subsea cables impact global internet connectivity?
- What role do the Houthi rebels play in regional internet disruptions?
- How can satellite internet like Starlink help during cable outages?
Common question
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What Caused the Undersea Cable Outages in the Red Sea?
Recent disruptions to undersea cables in the Red Sea have caused widespread internet outages across the Middle East, India, and Pakistan. These outages are linked to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, raising questions about regional security and infrastructure vulnerability. Curious about what triggered these outages and what it means for global connectivity? Below, we explore the causes, regional implications, and ongoing efforts to restore service.
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Could Undersea Cable Attacks Lead to Regional Conflicts?
Recent attacks on undersea internet cables in the Red Sea have raised concerns about regional stability and cybersecurity. These disruptions, linked to ongoing regional tensions and conflicts, could potentially escalate into broader conflicts if critical infrastructure remains vulnerable. Many wonder how these attacks impact international relations and what measures are being taken to protect vital internet infrastructure. Below, we explore key questions about the risks and responses related to undersea cable disruptions.
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How Do Undersea Cables Work and Why Are They Critical?
Undersea internet cables are the backbone of global connectivity, carrying over 95% of international data. Recent disruptions in the Red Sea highlight their importance and vulnerability. Curious about how these cables operate, why they’re so vital, and what risks they face? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about undersea cables and their role in keeping the world connected.
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How Do Cable Outages Impact Daily Life and Business?
Recent undersea cable disruptions in the Red Sea have caused widespread internet outages across the Middle East, India, and Pakistan. These outages highlight how dependent our daily lives and businesses are on reliable internet connectivity. In this page, we'll explore how such disruptions affect everyday activities, the impact on businesses, and what measures are taken to stay connected during outages. Understanding these issues can help you better prepare for future disruptions and grasp the broader implications of regional conflicts on infrastructure.
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Who Are Yemen's Houthi Rebels and What Are Their Goals?
Recent attacks on undersea cables in the Red Sea, linked to Yemen's Houthi rebels, have disrupted internet services across the Middle East and beyond. But who exactly are these rebels, and what are they fighting for? Understanding their goals and history helps clarify the ongoing regional tensions and the broader conflict involving Yemen. Below, we explore the background of the Houthis, their role in regional conflicts, and what recent events mean for global security.
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What Are the Future Strategies for Securing and Repairing Undersea Cables?
Undersea cables are vital for global internet connectivity, but recent disruptions like the Red Sea outages highlight vulnerabilities. As threats evolve, so do the strategies to protect and repair these critical infrastructures. Curious about the latest innovations, repair times, and international efforts? Read on to discover how experts are safeguarding our digital backbone and what the future holds for undersea cable security.
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What caused the internet slowdown in the Middle East?
Recent disruptions to internet services across the Middle East have raised questions about the cause of these outages. With multiple subsea cables in the Red Sea damaged, many are wondering what triggered these cuts and how they impact global connectivity. Below, we explore the key factors behind the slowdown and what it means for users and governments alike.
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Why Are Undersea Cables in the Red Sea Being Cut and What Does It Mean for Global Internet?
Recent disruptions to undersea fiber-optic cables in the Red Sea have caused widespread internet slowdowns across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. These cable cuts, linked to regional tensions and maritime activity, threaten the stability of global internet infrastructure. Curious about what’s happening, why it matters, and how it impacts you? Read on for answers to the most common questions about this critical issue.
More on these topics
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NetBlocks is a non-governmental organization that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the Internet. The organization was founded in 2017 to monitor Internet freedom.
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Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services.
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The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates, is a sovereign state in Western Asia at the northeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south and west, as well as sharing m
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Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula.
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Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is the second-largest Arab sovereign state in the peninsula, occupying 527,970 square kilometres.
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The Houthi movement, officially called Ansar Allah and colloquially simply Houthis, is an Islamic political and armed movement that emerged from Sa'dah in northern Yemen in the 1990s.
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The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden.
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Microsoft Azure, commonly referred to as Azure, is a cloud computing service created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers.
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The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country with a population exceeding 212.2 million. It is the 33rd-largest country by area, spanning 881,913 square kilometres.
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India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the second-most populous country, the seventh-largest country by land area, and the most populous democracy in the world.