Damaged Red Sea Cables Trigger Widespread Microsoft Azure, 365 Outages, Exposing Internet Fragility

The Chronify

September 8, 2025

Microsoft has confirmed that its Azure cloud platform is experiencing disruptions after several undersea fiber optic cables were damaged in the Red Sea, slowing internet traffic for users relying on routes through the Middle East.

The US tech giant stated that customers would face "increased latency," or delays, but did not specify the cause of the damage. In a statement on its website Saturday, Microsoft assured users that it was rerouting traffic through alternative network paths and that services "that do not traverse through the Middle East are not impacted."

Widespread Connectivity Issues:

The disruption extends beyond Microsoft's services. Over the weekend, reports emerged of widespread internet issues across the region. NetBlocks, an organization that tracks internet connectivity, confirmed that the cable cuts had affected services in several countries, including India and Pakistan.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Company pinpointed the location of the cuts to waters near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, warning customers on X (formerly Twitter) that services could be sluggish during peak hours.

A Vulnerable Lifeline:

Described as the backbone of the internet, these massive submarine cables are responsible for transmitting the vast majority of transcontinental data. While they can be accidentally damaged by ship anchors or natural events, the incident raises concerns about potential sabotage.

This is not the first time the critical Red Sea corridor has been compromised. In February 2024, several cables were severed, disrupting 25% of the data traffic between Asia and Europe. That incident followed warnings from Yemen's government that the Iran-backed Houthi movement might target the infrastructure, a claim the group denied.

The event mirrors a pattern of damage to undersea infrastructure seen elsewhere, including suspected attacks on cables and gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the growing vulnerability of the world's digital lifelines.