Could Iran target the Gulf’s digital backbone? The risks to data centres and internet cables explained

The Gulf has invested billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital infrastructure. But a warning from Iran has raised questions about how secure these ambitions would be if conflict with the United States resumes. Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei told Al Jazeera that the data centres, artificial intelligence facilities, and communication cables in the area could be attacked if hostility resumes.

This is after the drone attack on the AWS facility in the UAE and Bahrain when the US-Israel was attacking Iran, reported by Al Jazeera.

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The concern extends beyond individual technology companies. The Gulf’s digital economy depends on undersea cables, reliable electricity and large computing facilities that can be difficult to protect during a conflict.

Why the Gulf’s internet cables are vulnerable

Most of the data that moves between Europe and Asia moves via fibre-optic cables laid under the ocean. The cables contain data related to business transactions, cloud computing services, and even normal Internet browsing.

Al Jazeera reports that, according to estimates provided by research firm TeleGeography, more than 90 per cent of data capacity between Europe and Asia travels via cables that go through the Red Sea. Most of the cables pass through Bab al-Mandeb, which is a narrow strip of water that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

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The fact that there are lots of cables moving along certain paths can be seen as a potential vulnerability. The cables can be damaged by anchors or even subjected to deliberate interference.

The data centres are equally vulnerable to such threats. These buildings provide support for the servers that run banking software, governmental services and even artificial intelligence.

According to Andreas Krieg, an expert in security studies from King's College London, as reported by Al Jazeera, there is no need for any actual destruction for such buildings to stop functioning.

Technology companies have already faced attacks

Iran’s warning follows earlier statements identifying technology infrastructure as a potential target. Al Jazeera reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps named companies including Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Meta and Apple, as well as Emirati AI company G42, in communications outlining potential targets.

In March, AWS said two of its facilities in the UAE had been directly struck by drones. A strike near another facility in Bahrain caused physical damage to infrastructure, the company reported.

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These incidents demonstrated how attacks can affect commercial services even when their stated objectives are military or political. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank reported an outage affecting its application during a wider IT disruption, although it did not directly attribute the incident to AWS.

Undersea cables have also been damaged during regional conflicts. In February 2024, three cables were cut after the cargo ship Rubymar was disabled by a Houthi missile. Industry assessments linked the damage to the ship’s anchor, while the Houthis denied responsibility for the cable cuts.

Two more cables were damaged near Jeddah in September 2025, slowing internet access across parts of the Middle East and South Asia. The cause was not confirmed, according to Al Jazeera.

Krieg told the outlet that the attacks exposed the limits of assuming commercial infrastructure would automatically be protected by national air defences.

Can the Gulf protect its AI ambitions?

The risks matter because technology has become central to Gulf economic diversification plans.

The UAE is developing the Stargate UAE AI campus with OpenAI, Nvidia, G42 and other partners.

Similar threats confront data centres.

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They provide space for storage of servers that support banking systems, governments, and artificial intelligence systems. Data centres depend on uninterrupted supply of electricity, cooling, and telecommunications.

In an interview on Al Jazeera, Andreas Krieg, a security studies expert at King's College London, explained that physical damage is not necessary for the disruption of infrastructure.

One response is to develop alternative routes. Iraq signed an agreement with Qatar’s Ooredoo in September to carry data from the Gulf towards Europe through Iraqi territory and Türkiye. Ooredoo’s international arm subsequently agreed to acquire fibre capacity from Iraq’s iQ Networks to extend connectivity, subject to government approval.

These would help avoid the use of risky maritime routes, but infrastructure construction is time-consuming.

According to Krieg, cited by Al Jazeera, geographical redundancy, even if this involves locations beyond the Gulf, will help build resilience. This poses a problem for governments that would want to maintain control over sensitive data and computing resources within their jurisdiction.

Why digital security is becoming a geopolitical issue

For Gulf governments, attracting technology companies is only part of the challenge. They must also convince investors that critical services can continue operating during a regional crisis.

In contrast to the AI strategy of the UAE, which depends on American technological firms, the Saudi Arabian and Qatari governments are developing infrastructure that will cater for regional and international clients. Any disruption might impact financial service providers, cloud services and firms far from the zone of conflict.

The protection of all cables and data centres may prove to be challenging. Power backups, different network routes and geographical location of the infrastructure can minimise the impacts of any failure. But such efforts demand huge investments.

The Houthis’ presence around the Red Sea adds further uncertainty. No direct proof of attacks on internet cables by the group has been found, but engaging in combat in the vicinity of important shipping routes makes the process of fixing damage difficult.

The Iranian warning points to how digital infrastructure has come to be both an economic and geopolitical asset.