Tanker ships linked to Iran have been loitering over subsea Internet cables in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting the Iranian government may be preparing to target undersea infrastructure in response to renewed US and Israeli strikes.
Tracking Vessel Movements Near Critical Infrastructure
As reported by the Financial Times, maritime intelligence firm Windward tracked the movements of three sanctioned tankers and an Iranian fishing boat near major undersea cables throughout October. Six active cables cross through the contested Strait of Hormuz to connect the Middle East with Europe, Africa, and Asia, while two additional cables have segments currently under construction in the area.
Nations such as Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar rely completely on these subsea telecommunications lines running through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint to maintain global connectivity. Furthermore, other nations depend heavily on the network, with one-third of India’s westbound internet traffic routing through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Among the cable corridors visited by the drifting vessels was the route for the 2Africa cable, which is under construction and owned by a technology consortium featuring US company Meta. Windward utilized vessel-tracking data alongside satellite images to monitor the ships as they slowed down and looped near multiple cables, with some vessels eventually disabling their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders to conceal their location.
Suspected Cable Mapping and Sabotage Preparations
Windward explained to the Financial Times that these behavioral patterns indicate the Iran-linked vessels could be mapping cable pathways or potentially attaching charges or mines to them while operating without active tracking signals. In an October 26 blog post, Windward emphasized the actions of two sanctioned tankers connected to Iran that spent several days drifting directly over regional cable corridors without any legitimate commercial justification or cargo onboard.
