What might happen if Iran makes good on threats to sever undersea cables

While it is true that Gulf Arab states will suffer more in absolute terms, their economies are in much better shapes than Iran’s, and their populations are not on the verge of revolution.

By Shay Khatiri, Middle East Forum

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Hossein Mohebbi warned on October 19, 2026, that Iran could target undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz, as the Trump administration considers resuming hostilities.

Yadollah Javani‌, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ assistant for political affairs, also suggested that Iran could disrupt global commerce by attacking undersea internet cables in the Persian Gulf.

On October 21, Javani said, “[The] Islamic Republic’s actions will be smart and sometimes offensive because the Americans should exit our region … and can never return the conditions to prewar.”

Suggesting that offensive action will cause the United States to hesitate to attack in the future, he mentioned that “Americans, Zionists, Europeans, and their supporters” have witnessed Iran’s capabilities in damaging U.S. military bases.

Javani went on: “Americans and Americans’ allies in the region have many assets in the region. If they attack the infrastructures of our country, it is natural that the Islamic Republic will use all of its power and easily destroy their assets and capitals, including internet cables—seven cables pass through the Strait of Hormuz—and it can certainly inflict serious damage to America.”

Qatar has warned Iran that such a move would harm Iran too. Tasnim News pushed back that choking the world economy is Iran’s new doctrine.

It added that, because Iran’s economy is less reliant on the internet, the ensuing disruption will be absorbable, adding that Iran has already established an alternative communication line with Oman.

In contrast, it called Qatar a “digital island” that will face an existential crisis if it loses connectivity.

Qatar’s accommodation of the United States has made it unpopular in certain circles in Iran, just as its accommodation of Iran has made it unpopular in the United States.

Nour News wrote, “In recent days, Iran’s senior security and military authorities have talked frankly about attacking internet cables at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, in the event of another aggression against Iran by the United States and Israel.”

Citing that 80 percent of the world’s internet operates on undersea cables, the article added, “The Red Sea experience in recent years has shown that disrupting the global internet does not necessarily require cutting off all cables.”

In 2024 and 2025, the Houthis attacked Red Sea internet cables, causing internet disruption in the region.

The article warned that such attacks could invite “political and legal” retaliation by non-combatant countries affected.

This is a risky move for Iran. It is true that the relative pain on Iran will be less than on its neighbors if Iran disrupts regional connectivity, but there are two items Tehran should consider.

First, as Nour News suggests, Iran has few friends, and it cannot afford turning more states into enemies.

Second, while it is true that Gulf Arab states will suffer more in absolute terms, their economies are in much better shapes than Iran’s, and their populations are not on the verge of revolution.

Iran’s economy has little margin of error.

Most importantly, Iran’s strategy assumes a long-term disruption of connectivity. Repairing the Red Sea cables took several months.

At worst, Iran assumes that it will be able to prevent repair by firing on crews sent to fix the damage.

Even if Iran manages to do so, this will risk an escalation of the war and the occupation of the Iranian shore, perhaps even participation from Asian and European navies that so far have been reluctant.

In short, Iran risks a Pyrrhic victory should it succeed in disrupting regional internet.