The BRICS TimesOn Sunday, internet services were disrupted across several Asian countries, including India, after an undersea cable was severed in the Red Sea. Microsoft, through its status website, reported that West Asia experienced a decline in internet speed due to the cut. Suspicion is being directed towards Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are believed to have targeted the cables as a pressure tactic against Israel.
Large parts of Asia, including India, along with several countries spanning the Middle East and beyond, witnessed interruptions in internet connectivity on Sunday following damage to an undersea cable in the Red Sea. According to experts monitoring global network systems, the disruption stemmed from a severed communication line deep beneath the sea. The exact cause of this cable damage, however, has not yet been officially determined.
Concerns have been raised that Yemen’s Houthi rebels may have deliberately targeted these cables. Analysts suggest that the rebels see such actions as part of their broader strategy to pressure Israel into halting its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Yet, in the past, Houthi factions have denied carrying out such attacks on undersea communication systems.
Organizations monitoring global internet connectivity, including NetBlocks, confirmed that the cutting of multiple cables in the Red Sea had a direct impact on web access in various countries, notably India and Pakistan. NetBlocks further clarified that the disruption was linked to technical failures in the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) cable is operated by Tata Communications, part of a major Indian conglomerate. Meanwhile, the India–Middle East–Western Europe (IMEWE) cable system is managed by another consortium under the supervision of Alcatel-Lucent. Neither of the companies involved has issued a public statement in response to the incident.
Saudi Arabia has not officially acknowledged the connectivity crisis so far, with its officials declining to respond to requests for comment. In the United Arab Emirates, where major cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi depend on government-run telecom providers such as Du and Etisalat, many users reported drastically slower internet speeds. Despite widespread complaints, authorities in the UAE also refrained from making immediate remarks.
Microsoft, through its service status portal, confirmed that regions in West Asia might face reduced internet speeds due to the severed cable in the Red Sea. The company, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, did not release detailed information but clarified that internet traffic not routed through West Asia would remain unaffected.
The incident comes at a time when Yemen’s Houthi forces have intensified attacks against Israel in the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza conflict. Israel has also responded with airstrikes targeting rebel strongholds, killing several key leaders within the movement.
Earlier this year, Yemen’s internationally recognized exiled government had accused the Houthis of plotting assaults on undersea cables in the Red Sea. While some cables have already been damaged in recent months, Houthi groups have repeatedly rejected accusations of their involvement. On Sunday morning, however, Al-Masirah, a satellite channel backed by the Houthis, admitted that the cable damage had indeed taken place.
Between November 2023 and December 2024, Houthi rebels have launched more than a hundred attacks on shipping vessels using drones and missiles in the Red Sea, underlining their expanding influence and growing willingness to disrupt global trade and communications.
