Iran has developed detailed plans to attack undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the United States and Israel launch renewed military strikes, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters, warning that Tehran would seek to prolong disruptions by preventing repairs.
The threats come amid concerns that diplomatic efforts with Washington could collapse and trigger another round of fighting. Iranian officials have warned that undersea cables and other digital infrastructure could become targets in a renewed conflict.
The two officials, speaking anonymously, did not disclose how or where Iran might carry out the attacks. One warned that Tehran would no longer observe previous limits on its potential targets if Iran came under attack.
"If Iran is attacked, there will be no more red lines, from undersea cables to military bases, including covert ones," the official said, warning Washington not to "play with fire."
The official also claimed that Iran had access to the undersea cables and could destroy them.
On Wednesday, Yadollah Javani, deputy head of political affairs for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Tehran could target seven major internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure came under attack.
Undersea cables carry approximately 99% of global internet traffic, according to the International Telecommunication Union. However, the international bandwidth passing through the Strait of Hormuz accounts for less than 1% of the global total, limiting the potential worldwide impact of attacks in that area.
Alan Mauldin, research director at telecommunications research firm TeleGeography, said the consequences would depend on the ability of operators to reroute traffic and the capacity available on alternative connections.
Nevertheless, multiple cable cuts could disrupt regional internet services, financial transactions, e-commerce and cloud computing. Repairs could also become significantly more difficult during wartime because of security risks, higher insurance costs and delays in obtaining permission to operate in territorial waters.
Neither the US State Department nor Iran's Foreign Ministry immediately responded to Reuters' requests for comment. Gulf states had not issued an immediate response to the reported plans.
The threats reflect Tehran's apparent determination to respond more aggressively if Washington launches another military campaign.
Earlier this month, senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei warned that US-linked digital infrastructure across the Gulf, including data centers and artificial intelligence facilities, could be targeted in a renewed conflict.
The second Iranian security official said Gulf states that have invested heavily in American technology should hold Washington, rather than Tehran, responsible for any damage to undersea cables.
Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the threats were intended to deter further military action by increasing concerns among Gulf governments and American companies about the security of their investments.
"Tehran wants Gulf states and corporate executives to press Trump over the risks his policies pose to their investment plans," Vatanka said.
The potential threat extends beyond the Strait of Hormuz. The Red Sea could present a more consequential target for communications infrastructure, particularly if Iran received support from its Houthi allies in Yemen. Tehran has not publicly announced plans to attack cables in the Red Sea.
According to Mauldin, the Red Sea carries data between Europe, East Africa and Asia. Its cable routes account for approximately 3% of global international bandwidth demand and around 10% of traffic traveling between regions.
The threats also come as Gulf states seek to diversify their economies beyond oil and establish themselves as major artificial intelligence and technology hubs, deepening their relationships with American technology companies.
Iranian strikes directly hit two Amazon Web Services facilities in the United Arab Emirates in March and damaged infrastructure near another facility in Bahrain. At the height of the war that month, the IRGC also identified Microsoft, Google, Apple and Nvidia as legitimate targets.
Governments and technology companies are investing in alternative routes to make regional communications networks more resilient. Land-based connections can help reroute internet traffic if undersea cables are damaged.
Microsoft has announced plans to invest more than $400 million in undersea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030, as the region's strategic importance to global digital infrastructure continues to grow.
The extent of any disruption from a future attack would depend on the number of cables damaged, the availability of alternative routes and how long repairs could be delayed.