Top Five Maritime Threats Across the Gulf - Windward

Windward intelligence report highlights tanker and tug attacks, threats to subsea cables, an emerging oil spill and a sanctioned Russian tanker testing U.S. naval restrictions.

Maritime security risks across the Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman are expanding beyond attacks on commercial tankers, with threats now extending to subsea communications infrastructure, offshore support vessels and coastal facilities. An October 22 intelligence report from Windward Maritime identifies five developments that illustrate the widening scope of the conflict and its implications for commercial shipping, energy transportation and regional infrastructure. Iran Threatens Subsea Communications Cables

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has identified subsea internet cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz as potential targets. On October 19, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi warned that new targets and weapons would be unveiled, citing seven major communications cables beneath the strait.

Windward identifies six operational cable systems crossing Hormuz, with additional systems scheduled for 2027. Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar are particularly vulnerable because their subsea communications routes to markets outside the Gulf pass through the strait.

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