The next shock from the Middle East may not come through oil tankers. It could come through the thin submarine cables carrying internet traffic between Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Even after the recent de-escalation between the United States and Iran, the region’s undersea telecoms network remains a major security concern. The danger is not just slower internet. A serious disruption in the Red Sea could expose how much of the global economy depends on infrastructure most people never see.
Why Bab El-Mandeb Matters More Than Hormuz
The main risk is not the Strait of Hormuz, where most cables are regional. A disruption there would affect nearby countries, but it would not hit global connectivity in the same way.
Bab el-Mandeb is far more critical. This narrow passage at the entrance to the Red Sea, near Yemen, connects the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Around 16 submarine cables run through this route, carrying up to 20% of global
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