Iran-linked ships loiter over subsea cables in the Gulf of Oman
Maritime intelligence firm Windward tracked three sanctioned tankers and an Iranian fishing boat lingering over major Internet cables near the Strait of Hormuz in October. This may indicate preparation for attacks on the infrastructure if US and Israeli strikes on Iran resume.
Several Iran-linked tankers spent extended periods over subsea Internet cables in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, in October. This may indicate that Iran's government is preparing to attack such undersea infrastructure if the US and Israel renew their strikes. The Financial Times reported the findings, citing data from the maritime intelligence firm Windward.
What was observed
Windward tracked the movements of three sanctioned tankers and an Iranian fishing boat near major cables. It used ship-tracking data and satellite imagery. The vessels slowed down and looped around several cables, and some then "went dark" by switching off their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders, which normally broadcast a ship's position and other information.
Windward said the pattern could mean the ships are "mapping the cable routes, or placing charges or mines on them while dark." In an October 26 blog post, the company highlighted two sanctioned Iran-linked tankers that drifted for days directly over regional cable corridors with no commercial reason to stop. Neither carried commercial cargo.
Why it matters
Six active cables currently cross the contested Strait of Hormuz, linking the Middle East with Europe, Africa and Asia. Two more cables have segments under construction in the region. Four countries, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, rely entirely on subsea connections through the strait to reach the outside world. Other countries also depend on the network: one third of India's westbound Internet traffic passes through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
One cable under construction, 2Africa, is owned by a tech consortium that includes the US company Meta. It was among the main cable corridors visited by the drifting Iran-linked ships.
