In a season when the old machinery of power is strained by distance and disagreement, a familiar pattern is unfolding: a leader boasts of past strikes and hints at more, while the adversary reaches for the quieter levers that bind the modern world together. Iran's warnings about the seabed cables beneath Hormuz and the data centres that hold so much of global commerce turn the arena of war toward the invisible infrastructure of daily life. Neighbouring and distant states, gathered in Istanbul, have urged restraint, fearing that a wider war would spend what none of them can afford, and the ques
Trump Warns Iran of 'Another Little Epic Fury' as Tehran Threatens Gulf Undersea Internet Cables
Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon, according to the article's blurb.
"No more red lines" — from undersea cables to military bases
Mark
Why does a threat to cables matter more than another threat to bases?
Mimi
Because it reaches past the military. Cuts could hit finance, e-commerce and cloud services, and wartime insurance and permits could slow repairs.
Mark
Yet the piece says less than 1 per cent of international bandwidth crosses Hormuz.
Mimi
Right, so the threat is bigger in its signal than in its raw share. Mauldin's point is that multiple cuts would be needed to cause real disruption.
Luke
Worth saying: the threats are statements from officials. Nothing here confirms Iran has the ability or a plan to cut seven cables.
Mark
And Vatanka says the audience is Gulf investors.
Mimi
He does. Tehran wants executives and Gulf states to press Trump. That's his analysis, though, not something Iran has said.
Luke
Same caution on the New York Times report of post-election strike plans. It's one outlet's reporting, and Trump's own stance is that he won't attack before the midterms.
Mark
What do the Istanbul ministers add?
Mimi
A shared view that new strikes would widen the war, from Turkey, France and Germany among others.
Luke
Though they've offered no mechanism to stop it. The casualty figures are only described as thousands killed and millions displaced, with no breakdown.
Der Puls
- Trump has warned of another strike on Iran, calling up memories of past operations and mocking Tehran's judgment as the Strait of Hormuz keeps oil moving.
- Iranian officials have threatened to sever undersea cables beneath Hormuz and to hit US-linked data centres, promising 'no more red lines' if attacked.
- Cable cuts could ripple through finance, e-commerce and cloud services, and wartime insurance and permit rules could slow repairs for weeks or longer.
- Gulf capitals and European and Turkish ministers are pressing for restraint, while reported post-midterm strike plans hang over the next move.
In a season when the old machinery of power is strained by distance and disagreement, a familiar pattern is unfolding: a leader boasts of past strikes and hints at more, while the adversary reaches for the quieter levers that bind the modern world together. Iran's warnings about the seabed cables beneath Hormuz and the data centres that hold so much of global commerce turn the arena of war toward the invisible infrastructure of daily life. Neighbouring and distant states, gathered in Istanbul, have urged restraint, fearing that a wider war would spend what none of them can afford, and the question now hanging over the Gulf is whether those pleas will carry weight before the American midterms give way to whatever comes next.
President Trump has spoken openly of another strike on Iran, describing the old nuclear deal as one of the worst ever made and insisting that Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury had already stripped away Tehran's enrichment capacity. He suggested Iran's leaders should come to the table if they were wise, though he doubted they were. The war has already taken a heavy human toll, with thousands killed and millions displaced across Iran and Lebanon.
Tehran has answered by turning toward the digital economy. Iranian officials have threatened the undersea cables beneath Hormuz and the US-linked data centres and AI facilities that serve global business, warning Washington not to play with fire. Analysts read the message as aimed at Gulf governments and corporate executives, hoping they will press Trump over the risks his policies pose to their investments.
The real exposure is more complicated than the rhetoric. Cables carry most of the world's internet traffic, but little of the international bandwidth passes through Hormuz itself. Multiple cuts could still disrupt finance and cloud services, and repairs in wartime could be slow. Earlier Iranian strikes on Amazon facilities in the UAE and Bahrain show the threat is not merely theoretical.
Across the region and beyond, governments are urging restraint. Ministers gathered in Istanbul agreed that a new attack would widen the war, and European officials warned of higher energy prices and no winners. The coming weeks will show whether Gulf states lean on Washington and whether strikes planned for after the midterms go ahead.
President Trump, speaking about Iran, said the United States "may do another little Epic Fury." He described the nuclear deal Barack Obama's administration struck with Tehran, the JCPOA, as "one of the worst deals ever made" and said he ended it because it was a road to a nuclear weapon for Iran. He said Operation Midnight Hammer, which came late at night, around one in the morning, wiped out Iran's enrichment capacity, and that Operation Epic Fury did the rest.
He also questioned Tehran's judgment. If Iranian leaders are smart, he said, they will say "let's get down to business," though he doubted they would, because "perhaps they're not smart." Earlier he told reporters the US could end the conflict quickly, and that the question was whether to finish it or let it wither. Oil, he said, was still moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and "we are getting everything we want."
The war has already cost a great deal. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon, according to the article's account.
Tehran has answered with a threat aimed at the digital economy. Two Iranian officials said Iran could cut undersea cables and obstruct their repair. One warned that if Iran is attacked there would be "no more red lines," from undersea cables to military bases, including covert ones, and told Washington not to "play with fire." Yadollah Javani of the Revolutionary Guards said Iran could target seven cables beneath Hormuz. Mohsen Rezaei extended the threat to US-linked data centres and artificial intelligence facilities. Another official said Gulf states should hold Washington responsible.
Analyst Alex Vatanka read the message as aimed at Gulf audiences. Tehran, he said, wants Gulf states and corporate executives to press Trump over the risks his policies pose to their investment plans.
The scale of the exposure is contested in the details. Undersea cables carry about 99 per cent of global internet traffic, but TeleGeography's Alan Mauldin said less than 1 per cent of international bandwidth crosses Hormuz. Multiple cuts could still disrupt internet services, finance, e-commerce and cloud computing, and wartime insurance requirements and permits could delay repairs. Red Sea routes carry about 3 per cent of global demand and 10 per cent of interregional traffic, but Tehran has not threatened them.
The data-centre threat has precedent. In March, Iranian strikes hit two Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE and damaged infrastructure near one in Bahrain. The Revolutionary Guards have also named Microsoft, Google, Apple and Nvidia as targets. Land routes and new infrastructure could improve resilience, and Microsoft plans more than $400 million in regional subsea and terrestrial connectivity by 2030.
The timing is tied to American politics. Trump had said the US would not attack Iran before next month's midterm elections, as Washington and Tehran reportedly discussed ending the war. The New York Times reported that US and Israeli militaries had planned possible post-election strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenal.
Other governments are urging restraint. After talks in Istanbul involving Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Italy, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said all agreed a new attack on Iran would expand the regional war, and that "nobody approves this at the moment." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said further escalation would leave no winners and could seriously affect hydrocarbon prices. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany, France and Britain were ready to negotiate to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Ministers also discussed support for Saudi Arabia and Yemen and possible talks with the Houthis.
What to watch is whether Gulf states lean on Washington, as Tehran hopes, and whether the reported post-midterm strike plans go forward.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We may do another little Epic Fury.— President Donald Trump
A new attack on Iran would expand the war in the region.— Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister
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