Microsoft restores Azure after Red Sea undersea cable cuts disrupt service

Incident details
Microsoft reported undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea on Saturday morning, leading to disruptions and increased latency for Azure cloud users in the Middle East.

Service restored
By Saturday evening, Microsoft said Azure services had returned to normal after rerouting traffic through alternative paths, minimising customer impact.

Cause unclear: The company did not specify what caused the cable cuts. While accidents like ship anchors can damage cables, past incidents in the region have raised concerns over intentional interference.

Ongoing monitoring
Microsoft noted that undersea cable repairs can take time but assured users it would continue to monitor, rebalance, and optimise traffic routing to maintain stability.