中东战争已迫使Meta暂停其全球互联网基础设施项目2Africa的一部分建设。该海底光缆系统总长约45,000公里（28,000英里），是全球规模最大的海底光纤网络之一。其波斯湾段“Pearls”计划连接9个国家，包括阿曼、阿联酋、卡塔尔、巴林、科威特、伊拉克、巴基斯坦、印度和沙特阿拉伯。虽然大量电缆已铺设至海底，但尚未连接所有登陆站，负责铺设的法国国有企业Alcatel Submarine Networks已因战争宣布不可抗力并暂停施工。
海底电缆在全球互联网中占据关键地位，承担超过95%的国际数据流量。该项目原计划部分线路最早于今年投入使用，但地缘冲突已连续影响建设进度。仅四个月前，Meta已因红海地区胡塞武装袭击和许可问题暂停另一段施工。此前在2025年初遭袭损坏的现有电缆也直到最近四个月才完成修复，显示海底通信网络对军事冲突高度敏感。
战争还影响其他海底通信项目并增加维护风险。包括Sea-Me-We 6和卡塔尔Ooredoo主导的FIG项目在内的多个计划已暂停，而维修船也难以进入军事活动区域。若电缆被导弹击中的船只锚链拖断，修复时间可能进一步延长。虽然互联网流量可通过陆地线路或其他海底电缆重新路由，但区域网速可能下降。此外，战争结束后仍需清理未爆弹并重新勘测海床，进一步延长建设时间。
The war in the Middle East has forced Meta to pause part of its global internet infrastructure project 2Africa. The submarine cable system spans about 45,000 kilometers (28,000 miles) and is designed to become the world’s largest fiber-optic network. Its Persian Gulf segment, called “Pearls,” links nine countries including Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia. Although large sections of cable have already been laid on the seafloor, not all landing stations are connected, and the French state-owned installer Alcatel Submarine Networks has issued force majeure notices due to the conflict.
Subsea cables are critical to global connectivity, carrying more than 95% of international internet traffic. Parts of the system were expected to launch as early as this year, but geopolitical disruptions have repeatedly delayed progress. Just four months earlier, Meta halted work on another segment in the Red Sea following Houthi attacks and permitting difficulties. Cables damaged by attacks in early 2025 were only repaired within the last four months, highlighting the vulnerability of digital infrastructure to regional conflict.
The war is also disrupting other cable projects and increasing maintenance risks. Projects such as Sea-Me-We 6 and the FIG cable backed by Qatar’s Ooredoo have paused development, while repair ships are unable to safely operate in active conflict zones. If cables are severed by anchors from missile-damaged ships, repairs could take a long time. Internet traffic can be rerouted through alternative cables or terrestrial links across Oman and Saudi Arabia, though speeds may slow. Even after the conflict ends, unexploded weapons on the seafloor will require surveys before installation can resume.