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Experts now believe that the recent Red Sea cable cuts were caused by a ship anchor, ruling out sabotage as the likely explanation. The disruption has affected undersea lines in a critical zone, slowing internet connectivity across parts of Asia and the Middle East.
The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) reports that nearly 15 subsea cables pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where shallow seabeds leave them exposed to maritime accidents. Over the weekend, three major systems, SEA-ME-WE-4, IMEWE, and FALCON GCX, were damaged, while Kentik’s Internet analysis director, Doug Madory, confirmed the Europe India Gateway cable was also affected on September 9.
Microsoft’s Azure network flagged heightened latency around 06:00 UTC on September 6, linking the slowdown to Red Sea cable damage. While global traffic did not fully collapse, users dependent on Middle Eastern routes experienced severe slowdowns. Rerouting helped restore access, but at the expense of reduced performance.
Connectivity watchdog NetBlocks tracked disruptions across at least ten countries, including Pakistan, India, and the UAE, with customers of Etisalat and Du particularly affected. Although rerouting kept services functional, performance remained degraded.
The explanation provided by the ICPC contrasts with earlier fears that the Red Sea cable cuts were linked to Houthi sabotage. So far, there is no evidence of deliberate attacks. While the Houthi-run Al-Masirah news outlet acknowledged the outages using NetBlocks data, it did not claim responsibility. Yemen’s exiled government has previously accused the Houthis of similar damage, but the group denies involvement.
Repairing the severed cables could take weeks. Specialized ships must be deployed to handle the restoration, and ongoing regional conflicts may create further obstacles.
