Microsoft warns customers of \u2018increased latency\u2019 in connectivity and says efforts are under way to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n
Published On 7 Sep 20257 Sep 2025<\/p>\n
Internet disruptions have been reported in the Middle East and South Asia after multiple undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea, tech giant Microsoft, which has been criticised for its links to Israel as its war on Gaza<\/a> rages on, said in a statement.<\/p>\n The statement on Sunday did not give further details about what caused the cuts.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list<\/p>\n In a status update published to its website, Microsoft said \u201cnetwork traffic traversing through the Middle East may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea\u201d. The global software giant said its Azure cloud computing services, the world\u2019s second largest after Amazon, were affected by the cuts but added that general network traffic was not impacted.<\/p>\n \u201cNetwork traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted. We\u2019ll continue to provide daily updates, or sooner if conditions change,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Microsoft said the disruptions started at 05:45 GMT on September 6.<\/p>\n The internet connectivity watchdog NetBlocks reported \u201cdegraded\u201d internet connectivity in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and India, \u201cresulting in slow speeds and intermittent access\u201d.<\/p>\n NetBlocks said the connectivity issues were due to failures in the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n Pakistan Telecommunications, one of the country\u2019s largest telecoms providers, released<\/a> a statement on X warning customers that the country \u201cmay experience some degradation during peak hours\u201d, adding that its international partners were working to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n Undersea cables form the internet\u2019s backbone, carrying global data traffic. The Middle East serves as a critical hub linking Asia and Europe. They are vulnerable to damage by ships\u2019 anchors, but can also be targeted in attacks, which can cause widespread disruption.<\/p>\n In early 2024, Yemen\u2019s internationally recognised government-in-exile alleged that the Houthis planned to attack undersea cables in the Red Sea. Several were cut, but the Houthis denied being responsible.<\/p>\n On Sunday morning, the Houthis\u2019 Al Masirah TV acknowledged the cuts, citing NetBlocks.<\/p>\n Microsoft\u2019s Azure has been storing information, including intercepted Palestinian phone calls in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip for Israel\u2019s military, according to an investigation<\/a> by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call.<\/p>\n Microsoft has denied knowledge that Israel\u2019s cyber-intelligence division, Unit 8200, was using its cloud services for material obtained through mass surveillance, but launched an investigation in August.<\/p>\n