2024-01-30T14:33:27+00:00
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/ A report published by the Gulf International Forum website warned on Tuesday that vital submarine cables may be a new target for upcoming Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, indicating an evolving threat that could seriously disrupt global communications and the economy.
“The vital underwater communications cable network could be an ideal easy target for the next Houthi attack, and this possibility should be of concern to all countries that rely on this vital infrastructure, both near and far,” the report said.
The Houthi attacks targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea posed a major threat to maritime navigation, but according to the report, the matter may develop from attacks above the surface of the sea to attacks in its depths, as the submarine cables have become the new Houthi target in the conflict.
Earlier, a Telegram channel linked to the Houthis published a report with an attached image showing a map of submarine communications cable networks in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf.
The report, published by the channel on December 24, said: “There are maps of international cables that connect all regions of the world across the sea. It seems that Yemen is in a strategic location, as Internet lines pass near it that connect entire continents – not just countries.”
Although the report did not specify a target, the threat coincides with the Houthis’ more aggressive military campaign against shipping in the Red Sea.
On Telegram, both Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias in Iraq have issued their own statements suggesting they would consider cutting the cables — a move that would mark a new development in the regional conflict, the Gulf International Forum reported.
Many people, both in the Middle East and around the world in general, take for granted the modern conveniences that submarine cables provide.
Yemen stands at a critical juncture for these communications, with the Bab el-Mandeb a chokepoint for over-the-sea traffic, making the region one of the world’s three most choked-up cable chokepoints. Threats to this infrastructure are a particular concern for major powers like China and the United States, who are already competing for control of the cable network.
Cables serve as one of the world’s most important digital infrastructures, serving more than 95% of international data and communications flows, amounting to an estimated $10 trillion in financial transactions every day.
According to the report, there are reasons why the submarine cables have remained safe until now, most notably the relative technological backwardness of the Houthi group, as the group lacks the submarines needed to reach the cables.
The Houthis have long posed a threat to international maritime traffic, but the group’s recent string of increasingly criminal attacks underscores its determination to move forward and play a greater role in the region.
Source: Sky News