Iran has threatened to target undersea internet cables in the Gulf if the United States attacks the country's civilian infrastructure.
"If they [the US] want to damage our infrastructure, it goes without saying that the Islamic Republic will use all its power to easily destroy their capital and assets," Yadollah Javani, a general with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state-run broadcaster Al-Alam on Wednesday.
"That includes internet cables, including seven major cables that run underwater through the Strait of Hormuz," the officer said.
"The Islamic Republic can undoubtedly inflict serious damage on the US and its regional allies in this way."
The Strait of Hormuz has been a major flashpoint between Tehran and Washington since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February.
Iranian forces have intensified attacks on oil tankers and cargo ships in recent weeks in an effort to drive up prices and increase domestic political pressure on US President Donald Trump ahead of congressional elections.
The Strait of Hormuz is not only a vital route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
The narrow waterway is also a key passage for several undersea fibre-optic cables connecting Gulf countries to international data networks.
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