Back to News Feed
escalatory·Mar 14·Saturday, March 14, 2026
Meta's 2Africa Cable Declares Force Majeure — Persian Gulf Operations Halted
escalatory·94% confidence
Summary
Alcatel Submarine Networks declared force majeure on Meta's 2Africa Pearls cable extension, ceasing all Persian Gulf operations. The cable-laying vessel Ile De Batz is stranded off Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The 45,000km project connecting Africa to Asia is indefinitely postponed.
Risk Impacts (1)
Largest planned Gulf cable project cancelled — locks region into inadequate infrastructure
Current probability:65%High
Read on Tom's Hardware
Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/iran-conflict-delays-metas-2africa-undersea-cable-project-cable-layer-declares-force-majeure-says-it-can-no-longer-safely-operate-in-the-persian-gulf
Read on Bloomberg
Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-12/work-on-massive-meta-cable-project-in-persian-gulf-stalled-by-iran-war