- Fighting linked to the US–Iran conflict has placed major Gulf data routes at risk, including submarine cables through the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz.
- The disruption highlights how global AI infrastructure depends on a small number of fragile physical connections.
What Happened
Escalating conflict in the Gulf has drawn attention to a lesser-known vulnerability in the global internet: submarine fibre-optic cables that carry most international data traffic. According to reporting, the current US–Iran war has effectively turned both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz into conflict zones, threatening critical data routes.
The two maritime chokepoints serve as the primary gateways connecting Gulf data centres to networks in Europe, Asia, and Africa. About 17 submarine cables run through the Red Sea alone, carrying the majority of traffic between these regions.
Major technology companies have spent years investing in the Gulf as a potential hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure. Firms including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have built or planned large data centre facilities across the region. These projects rely heavily on fibre-optic links running through the narrow passages now affected by military escalation.
The risk is not necessarily deliberate targeting of cables. Analysts say the more immediate danger comes from collateral damage or accidents caused by ships struck during hostilities. In 2024, for example, a cargo ship hit by a missile cut several Red Sea cables after its anchor dragged across the seabed, disrupting around 25% of data traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Repair operations could also face delays if security conditions prevent specialized cable-repair vessels from accessing damaged sites. If multiple cables fail simultaneously, the disruption could last months rather than days.
Why It’s Important
The situation underscores how digital infrastructure has become intertwined with geopolitical risk. While energy pipelines and shipping lanes have long been part of military planning, data infrastructure often receives less attention despite its growing strategic value.
The Gulf states have positioned themselves as future hubs for AI computing and cloud services, attracting billions of dollars in investment. Plans announced in recent years include large-scale AI campuses and new data centre clusters across the region.
However, these projects depend on reliable international connectivity. Submarine cable routes are geographically constrained, meaning traffic often passes through a limited number of chokepoints. When those locations become conflict zones, digital services far beyond the region can feel the impact.
The crisis also raises questions about how governments and technology firms evaluate infrastructure risk. Some analysts argue that policy discussions around AI have focused more on supply chains and chip exports than on protecting physical connectivity.
For now, Gulf digital infrastructure remains operational. Yet the conflict demonstrates how quickly geopolitical events can threaten the foundations of the global internet—and by extension the expanding ecosystem of AI services built on top of it.
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