Internet disrupted across Mideast, South Asia after undersea cable cuts near Jeddah

Internet connectivity in parts of Asia and the Middle East slowed after undersea cables in the Red Sea were cut, the Associated Press reported Sunday. The cause of the disruption was not immediately clear.

Microsoft said users in the Middle East "may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea." The company added that traffic not routed through the region was unaffected.

NetBlocks, which monitors digital infrastructure, confirmed the disruption. "A series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries including #Pakistan and #India; the incident is attributed to failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia," the group wrote.

The South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 cable is operated by Tata Communications of India. The IMEWE line is managed by a consortium led by Alcatel-Lucent. 

Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd. confirmed the cuts in a statement. In the United Arab Emirates, users of state-owned Du and Etisalat networks complained of slower speeds, though the government has not commented.

A social media user noted that the India-Europe-Xpress cable, a 10,000-kilometre system built by an Indian company, remained in service and was likely helping reroute some traffic.

According to AP, subsea lines can be damaged by anchors or through deliberate attacks. The latest cuts come as Yemen's Houthi rebels continue operations in the Red Sea linked to the Israel-Hamas war. Israel has carried out airstrikes in response, including one that killed senior Houthi leaders.

Earlier this year, Yemen's exiled government alleged that the Houthis were planning to attack undersea cables. The Houthis denied involvement but acknowledged the latest disruption through their al-Masirah satellite channel, citing NetBlocks.

From late 2023 through 2024, the Houthis carried out more than 100 drone and missile strikes on shipping in the Red Sea, sinking four vessels and killing at least eight crew. The campaign paused briefly during a ceasefire but resumed before the US launched weeks of airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump. The Houthis later sank two more ships in July, killing four sailors and capturing others.