Red Sea Cables Cut Impacting Worldwide Communications

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM/HONG KONG (Worthy News) – Suspected Iran-backed Houthis cut four Red Sea underwater cables providing internet and telecommunications worldwide in a further escalation of the crisis in the Middle East sparked by the Israel-Hamas war, officials said Monday.

The Hong Kong-based HGC Global Communications confirmed the cuts, saying that some 25 percent of traffic had been affected, potentially impacting millions.

It did not mention who was responsible, but there had been concern that the Houthis could expand their campaign of attacking ships to the sabotage of crucial underwater cables.

The Houthis denied involvement, but they are also known to work together with other Iran-backed militias described as terrorists by Israel and most of its allies.

Monday’s reported sabotage came while global shipping was disrupted through the Red Sea, a crucial route for cargo and energy shipments from Asia and the Middle East to Europe.

The Houthis have been striking vessels in the Red Sea, including in mid-February when a cargo ship was abandoned by its crew following a Houthi attack. The boat, which had weighed anchor, drifted for weeks before sinking.

There are more than 15 undersea internet cables in the Red Sea. To have four damaged at a single time is ”exceptionally rare,” HGC added in a separate earlier statement.

UNDERWATER DATA TRAFFIC

Underwater cables are responsible for most of the internet’s data traffic, according to sources familiar with the situation. They’re cheaper than land-based cables but are prone to damage from ships’ anchors, experts said.

The disruption of the cables did not disconnect any country entirely from the internet yet. However, services in India, Pakistan, and East Africa were reportedly noticeably degraded.

The telecom ministry in Yemen, where the Houthis are based, denied allegations it was responsible for the failures, saying it was “keen to keep all telecom submarine cables…away from any possible risks.”

Houthi control of the region and the ongoing strife in Yemen makes repairing the damaged cables more complicated, company officials explained.

One of the four companies affected reportedly said it expects to start that process early in the second quarter, though permit issues, weather, and a civil war could cause delays.

The Houthis, also known as the Houthi movement or “Supporters of Allah,” is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s.

It mainly comprises Zaidi Shias, whose namesake leadership is drawn primarily from the Houthi tribe. The Islamist grouping has said it will only stop attacks if Israel ends its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Israel’s government says its military actions are in response to the October 7 attack in Israel by Hamas, another group backed by Iran. Authorities said Hamas fighters killed some 1,200 people while taking about 250 others as hostages on what became known as “Black Sabbath” among Israelis.

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