Iranian officials warned of an 'apocalyptic war' and detailed plans to target Gulf undersea communications cables if U.S. and Israeli forces resume military strikes against Iran. Iranian commanders asserted that U.S. warships will be barred from entering the Persian Gulf, as U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack signaled potential American strikes within days. Telecom analysts note that while undersea cables carry 99% of global internet traffic, less than 1% passes through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting global network disruptions.
Iranian warnings of military escalation
- ▪IRGC spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi stated on October 24, 2026 that if attacked, Iran will achieve absolute victory in an apocalyptic war that will decide the fate of regional nations
- ▪Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, stated on October 24, 2026 that U.S. military vessels will not be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf under any circumstances
U.S. military strike plans
- ▪U.S. and Israeli media reported that both countries have drawn up plans to resume military strikes against Iran
- ▪U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack stated in an interview on October 23, 2026 that the U.S. could launch military strikes against Iran within days
Iran's plans to target Gulf undersea cables
- ▪Two senior Iranian security officials stated that Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to target Gulf undersea communications cables if the U.S. and Israel attack Iran again
- ▪An Iranian security official stated that Iran would aim to prevent repairs following any attacks it carries out on undersea cables to prolong communications and internet disruptions
- ▪Yadollah Javani, deputy head of political affairs for Iran's IRGC, stated on October 21, 2026 that Iran could target seven major internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz if Iranian infrastructure is attacked
Iranian targeting of regional digital infrastructure
- ▪Iranian military strikes directly hit two Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE in March 2026 and damaged infrastructure near an AWS facility in Bahrain
- ▪Iran's Security Council Secretary General Mohsen Rezaei warned in October 2026 that U.S.-linked digital infrastructure across the Gulf, including data centers and AI facilities, could be targeted in a renewed conflict
Global undersea cable bandwidth statistics
- ▪TeleGeography research director Alan Mauldin stated that less than 1% of global international bandwidth passes through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting global impact if cables there are cut
- ▪Data capacity routed through the Red Sea accounts for approximately 3% of global international demand and 10% of inter-regional internet traffic between Europe, East Africa, and Asia
- ▪Undersea cables carry approximately 99% of global internet traffic according to the UN's International Telecommunication Union
State of the war
- ▪Neither the U.S. nor Iran had engaged in major land-based attacks since early September 2026 following the initiation of war against Iran by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28, 2026
- ▪Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for an end to what he described as a state of neither war nor peace
Strait of Hormuz status
- ▪Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz amid the military conflict with the United States
- ▪The U.S. maintains a blockade on Iranian oil export ports while claiming the southern commercial transit route through the Strait of Hormuz remains open under U.S. Navy protection
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