Level 1 - Absolute Beginner
Iran is very angry. It says it can cut internet cables under the sea.
The cables are in the Gulf. Many countries use them for the internet.
Oil is now very expensive. It costs about 116 dollars for one barrel.
Qatar says this is a bad idea. It says people in the region will suffer.
- cable
- A thick wire that carries electricity or the internet.
- sea
- A very large area of salt water.
- oil
- A thick liquid that is used to make fuel.
- barrel
- A big round container for oil.
- expensive
- Costing a lot of money.
- angry
- Feeling very upset.
- region
- A large area of the world.
- internet
- The system that connects computers around the world.
Level 2 - Elementary
Iran has made a new threat. A senior Guards commander says Iran could attack the undersea internet cables in the Gulf if the United States hits its cities and power stations.
He says seven big cables pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Another Iranian leader says data centers could be targets if the war starts again.
On Friday the price of Brent oil went up about 3 percent to 116.46 dollars a barrel. That is the highest price since April 30.
Qatar answered that attacks on the cables would hurt the people of the region, not only the United States.
- threat
- A warning that someone may do something bad.
- commander
- A leader in an army.
- data center
- A building full of computers that store information.
- strike
- A military attack from the air.
- price
- The money you pay for something.
- target
- Something that people plan to attack.
- highest
- Bigger than all the others.
- answer
- To say something after a question or a statement.
Level 3 - Intermediate
Iran has added a digital front to its warnings. Yadollah Javani, a deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, said Tehran could target the undersea internet cables of the Gulf if Washington attacks Iranian civilian infrastructure, and he pointed to seven major cables that cross the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei has also warned that cables, data centers and artificial intelligence facilities across the region could be hit if the war with the United States resumes.
The words landed in a tense week. US ambassador Tom Barrack said a strike this weekend was possible, while President Donald Trump said he knew nothing about it. Traders took the risk seriously: Brent crude rose about 2.9 percent to 116.46 dollars a barrel, its highest level since April 30, on bets that the United States will strike again.
Qatar, which hosts important cable landings and a large US air base, replied that attacking the cables would harm the region's own population. The conflict began in February, and reports say Iranian forces have stepped up attacks on tankers and cargo ships in recent weeks.
No strike had been confirmed when this report was written, so the threats remain threats. For ordinary readers, the key point is that the Gulf carries both energy and data, and both are now part of the argument.
- infrastructure
- The basic systems a country needs, such as power and roads.
- civilian
- Not part of the military.
- resume
- To start again after a stop.
- deputy
- The second in command.
- landing
- A place where something comes ashore or arrives.
- stepped up
- Increased or made stronger.
- confirmed
- Shown to be true.
- traders
- People who buy and sell things such as oil.
Level 4 - Advanced
Iran's threats now reach beyond oil tankers and into the plumbing of the digital world. Yadollah Javani, a deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, said Tehran could go after the undersea internet cables of the Gulf should Washington strike Iranian civilian infrastructure, citing seven major cables that run through the Strait of Hormuz. Security chief Mohsen Rezaei went further, warning that cables, data centers and artificial intelligence facilities across the region would be exposed if hostilities resume.
Markets treated the warning as one more reason to price in a wider war. Brent crude climbed roughly 2.9 percent to 116.46 dollars a barrel, the highest since April 30, on speculation that the United States will carry out fresh strikes. The speculation was fed by Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, who said a weekend strike was possible, and by President Trump's flat reply that he knew nothing about it.
Doha was quick to object. Qatar, which hosts critical cable infrastructure and a major American air base, argued that hitting the cables would punish the very populations of the Gulf that depend on them. Analysts note that damage under water is hard to repair quickly, since specialised ships must find and splice the line.
The standoff has lasted since February, and reports describe a recent surge in Iranian attacks on tankers and cargo vessels intended to push prices higher. Nothing in Friday's reporting confirmed a strike, which leaves the world with a familiar pattern: loud warnings, nervous markets and an unresolved question about what happens next.
- hostilities
- Open fighting between two sides.
- exposed
- Left without protection.
- speculation
- Guessing about what may happen, often without proof.
- flat
- Direct and without softening.
- critical
- Extremely important.
- splice
- To join two ends of a cable together.
- surge
- A sudden strong increase.
- standoff
- A tense situation in which neither side gives way.
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