Microsoft Restores Azure After Red Sea Cable Outage

Microsoft has confirmed that its Azure cloud platform is back to normal following a weekend outage caused by damaged undersea cables in the Red Sea. The disruption, which began on Saturday morning, affected service across the Middle East and led to increased latency for users throughout the day.

By Saturday evening, Microsoft reported that it had rerouted traffic through alternate network paths, restoring stability for customers. The company did not disclose how the cables were damaged but stressed that such infrastructure is critical for global internet connectivity.

Subsea cables carry massive volumes of data across continents, yet they remain vulnerable to accidental damage, such as from ship anchors, as well as deliberate attacks.

This is not the first time the Red Sea has been a point of concern. In 2024, Yemen’s internationally recognized government accused the Houthi movement of intentionally cutting cables in the region. Microsoft did not link the current outage to any group.

While services have been restored, Microsoft warned that repairs to undersea cables can take time. The company added that it will “continuously monitor, rebalance, and optimize routing to reduce customer impact in the meantime.”

Read More: Undersea Cable Cuts in Red Sea Disrupt Internet Across Asia, Middle East