America’s digital lifeline faces a critical vulnerability as hostile actors in the Red Sea deliberately target undersea cables that carry our internet traffic, exposing how foreign instability threatens our national connectivity and economic security.
Story Snapshot
- Multiple undersea cables simultaneously cut in Red Sea on September 6, 2025, disrupting internet across Asia and Middle East
- Microsoft Azure and major cloud services experienced widespread slowdowns affecting American businesses with global operations
- Repairs could take months due to regional instability and hostile governments blocking access to repair crews
- Previous attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on cable infrastructure show deliberate targeting of critical communications systems
Critical Infrastructure Under Attack
Multiple undersea fiber optic cables were simultaneously severed in the Red Sea on September 6, 2025, creating widespread internet disruptions that immediately impacted American businesses and cloud services. Microsoft Azure confirmed the cuts affected major submarine cable systems including SEA-ME-WE-4 and IMEWE, which carry vital internet traffic between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The coordinated nature of these cuts raises serious questions about deliberate sabotage targeting America’s digital infrastructure dependencies.
American Businesses Pay the Price
Microsoft Azure services experienced significant latency increases and connectivity issues, directly affecting American companies relying on cloud infrastructure for global operations. The tech giant was forced to reroute traffic through longer, alternative pathways, resulting in slower performance for businesses conducting international operations. This disruption demonstrates how America’s economic competitiveness remains vulnerable to foreign actors who can cripple our digital commerce with strategic infrastructure attacks.
Foreign Governments Block Repair Efforts
Repair operations face months-long delays due to hostile regional governments, particularly Yemen, denying access to specialized cable repair vessels. The International Cable Protection Committee warns that repairs in unstable regions are complex and costly, with estimates reaching $1-3 million per incident. This situation exemplifies how America’s critical infrastructure depends on cooperation from unreliable foreign actors who can weaponize access to essential repairs.
Pattern of Escalating Threats
Previous incidents in February 2024 and January 2025 involved vessels damaged by Iran-backed Houthis, showing a clear pattern of targeting communications infrastructure. The Red Sea’s strategic importance as a chokepoint for global internet traffic makes it an attractive target for hostile forces seeking to disrupt Western connectivity. These repeated attacks reveal the urgent need for America to develop alternative routes and reduce dependence on vulnerable foreign corridors for our digital communications.
The ongoing crisis highlights America’s dangerous reliance on undersea cables passing through hostile territories, where repair access can be denied indefinitely by unfriendly governments. Until physical repairs are completed, American businesses must accept degraded internet performance and increased operational costs, demonstrating the real economic impact of inadequate infrastructure security planning.
Sources:
Middle East internet slowdowns could last months after Red Sea cable damage
Microsoft reports multiple subsea fiber cuts in Red Sea
Red Sea cable cut takes Azure routes down
Slow internet lately? It could be because hidden undersea cables were just cut in Red Sea
Microsoft says Azure affected after cables cut in the Red Sea
