Houthis suspected in undersea cable cuts as internet slows across Asia and Mideast
By isabelle // 2025-09-08
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  • Global internet outages struck India, Pakistan, Kuwait, and the UAE after undersea cables were severed near Saudi Arabia.
  • Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, are the prime suspects due to their history of sabotage and advanced capabilities in the Red Sea.
  • Three major cable systems—SMW4, IMEWE, and FALCON GCX—were cut, causing widespread slowdowns and exposing critical vulnerabilities.
  • Undersea cables carry 99% of global data traffic and are shockingly easy to sabotage, with repairs taking weeks.
  • This attack is a warning: digital infrastructure is now a battleground, and future disruptions could paralyze economies and communications worldwide.
Imagine waking up to find your internet crawling at dial-up speeds—or worse, gone entirely. That’s exactly what happened to millions across India, Pakistan, Kuwait, and the UAE this weekend after multiple undersea cables near Saudi Arabia were severed in the Red Sea. The outages, confirmed by Microsoft and NetBlocks, didn’t just slow down Netflix streams; they exposed a terrifying vulnerability in the backbone of global communication. And while no group has claimed responsibility, all eyes are on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have the means, motive, and a history of denying such attacks—right before striking again. This isn’t just about slower downloads. It’s a wake-up call. The same cables that carry 99% of intercontinental data traffic are sitting ducks in a world where geopolitical tensions are boiling over. Whether it’s anchors dragged by ships, deliberate sabotage, or even submarine-based attacks, the threat is real, and the consequences could be catastrophic. If a rogue group can cripple internet access for entire nations with a few well-placed cuts, what’s stopping them (or worse actors) from doing it again on a larger scale?

A coordinated attack or just "collateral damage"?

The cuts affected at least three major cable systems: SMW4 (South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4), IMEWE (India-Middle East-Western Europe), and the FALCON GCX cable, all near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Microsoft’s Azure cloud service reported "increased latency" across the Middle East, while NetBlocks confirmed degraded connectivity in India, Pakistan, and the UAE, where users on state-run networks like Du and Etisalat complained of agonizingly slow speeds. So, who’s behind it? Yemen’s internationally recognized government—exiled and opposed to the Houthis—was quick to point fingers. Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister, issued a statement declaring the cuts "cannot be isolated from the series of direct attacks carried out by the Houthi militia." He warned that "what is happening today in the Red Sea should serve as a wake-up call for the international community," urging action to "protect the digital infrastructure that serves as the lifeline of the modern world." The Houthis, however, have denied past accusations of targeting cables, even as they’ve sunk ships, fired missiles, and deployed ocean drones in their campaign against Israel and Western interests. Their al-Masirah news channel acknowledged the outages Sunday but stopped short of taking credit. That’s classic Houthi strategy: plausible deniability while letting the chaos speak for itself.

Why this should terrify you... wherever you live

Here’s the hard truth: Undersea cables are the internet’s jugular vein. More than 400 cables stretch across the ocean floor, carrying everything from bank transactions to military communications. And they’re shockingly easy to sabotage. Anchors from ships (accidental or intentional) can slice through them, and submarines or divers (like those the Houthis may now possess) can plant explosives. Making matters worse, repairs take weeks, requiring specialized ships to locate and fix breaks in deep water. This isn’t hypothetical. In 2024, Yemen’s exiled government accused the Houthis of planning cable attacks. Shortly after, multiple cables were cut. It was officially blamed on a ship’s anchor, but many suspected foul play. Now, with the Houthis sinking ships, firing missiles, and deploying underwater drones, the idea that they’d hesitate to target cables is naive. And it’s not just the Middle East at risk. The U.S., Europe, and Asia all rely on these same vulnerable lines. Imagine if cables in the Atlantic or Pacific were severed during a conflict with China or Russia. No internet. No ATMs. No emergency communications. Just silence—and chaos.

A world on the brink of digital warfare

The Red Sea isn’t just a shipping lane; it’s a battleground for the future of global control. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have already proven they can disrupt trade, threaten naval forces, and now potentially cripple the internet. Meanwhile, Western nations scramble to respond, but the damage is done: The illusion of a stable, interconnected world is shattering. This isn’t just about the Houthis. It’s about what happens when the wrong people realize how easy it is to pull the plug on modern civilization. We’ve seen cyberattacks on power grids, ransomware crippling hospitals, and now physical sabotage of the internet’s backbone. The question isn’t if it will happen again—it’s when, where, and who will be next. The Red Sea cable cuts aren’t just a temporary inconvenience; they’re a dress rehearsal for digital warfare. The Houthis may be today’s boogeyman, but tomorrow it could be China, Russia, or a lone actor with a grudge and a boat. Sources for this article include: TechXplore.com Engadget.com News.Sky.com YnetNews.com
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