A spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that undersea data cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz could become new targets for Iran.
Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said seven major data cables run beneath the strait and that global internet and commercial data traffic depend on them, according to Saudi Gazette.
He did not say the cables would definitely be attacked. He said new targets and new weapons would be unveiled. Saudi Gazette quoted him as saying: "We just want them to know that new targets will be unveiled."
In remarks reported by 1news.az, citing Iran's Fars news agency, Brigadier General Mohebbi also warned the United States against new attacks on Iran.
The same report quoted him as saying that if the region became unsafe for Iran, "there will be no security in the region for anyone".
The claim that all global internet and commercial data traffic passes through the strait comes only from the IRGC. Saudi Gazette described it as a claim made by the spokesman.
Outlets described the remarks differently. Middle East Monitor presented them as an explicit threat, while Al-Quds called them a hint and a veiled warning. IBTimes UK also used the term veiled warning.
IBTimes UK reported that Brigadier General Mohebbi also posted an apparently AI-generated missile image on X. It carried a caption saying the world would see what would happen. He did not say whether the image related to the cables.
No response had been reported from the United States, Gulf states or cable operators. No response had been reported from the Iranian government beyond the IRGC.
A similar warning came earlier in October from Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. He told Press TV that Iran could target undersea cables, data centres and artificial intelligence facilities linked to the US if war broke out again, according to Saudi Gazette and IBTimes UK.
Middle East Monitor reported that US embassies in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Israel issued warnings late on Sunday. They said security conditions could change rapidly and mentioned possible attacks by Iran and its allies.
The IRGC is a branch of Iran's armed forces and is separate from the regular army. Mr Rezaei is a former IRGC commander. The Strait of Hormuz is a major oil shipping route.
According to the News Beep aggregator, the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on 28 February. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the Middle East.
News Beep also reported that an understanding between Washington and Tehran in June reduced broader hostilities. It said attacks on commercial shipping and disputes over navigation through Hormuz had continued.
Saudi Gazette reported that drone attacks in early March damaged Amazon Web Services infrastructure in the UAE and Bahrain. It reported physical damage, power disruption and cloud outages.
Hespress reported that an attack on cables could disrupt internet and telecoms services across several countries in the region. It said the extent would depend on the damage and on alternative routes.
News Beep said repairs could be difficult in waters affected by military operations.
The sources do not say what comes next. Brigadier General Mohebbi did not give details of the new targets or weapons he said would be unveiled.
