Iran-linked ships spotted hovering over subsea internet cables after threats, report says
According to Ynet citing the Financial Times, at least four vessels linked to Iran have been observed following unusual routes and lingering above undersea communications cables in the Gulf of Oman in recent weeks. These movements occur amid repeated Iranian threats to target regional digital infrastructure if the U.S. or Israel launch further strikes. Data from the Israeli maritime intelligence firm Windward indicates that three of the vessels are U.S.-sanctioned tankers, while the fourth is an Iranian fishing boat. The vessels were observed slowing down or disabling tracking systems over critical cable routes, behavior that experts suggest fits the profile of mapping infrastructure or preparing to place naval mines. Experts warn that any disruption to these cables could have severe economic consequences for Gulf nations, which rely heavily on these fiber-optic networks for financial services, cloud computing, and AI infrastructure.