Microsoft's cloud service is suffering disruptions due to undersea fiber optic cable cuts in the Red Sea, the company announced Saturday.
Microsoft's Azure is the second largest cloud services provider in the world, following Amazon's AWS. The company warned that users may experience higher latency when data traffic is sent through the Middle East due to the cuts.
"We do expect higher latency on some traffic that previously traversed through the Middle East. Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted. We'll continue to provide daily updates, or sooner if conditions change," Microsoft said.
The company did not offer an explanation for how the cables were damaged. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the issue.
In this photo illustration, a Microsoft Azure logo is seen on a smartphone screen with a Microsoft logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The Red Sea has seen significant economic disruption in recent months due to interventions by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The terrorist group has declared solidarity with Hamas and has vowed to continue attacking trade vessels so long as Israel's war in Gaza continues.
Houthi fighters raise Lebanese Hezbollah and national flags during a rally held in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The U.S. military and the Israel Defense Forces have launched intense air strikes against Houthi installations in Yemen. The official slogan of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) reads, "Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam."
A Houthi military helicopter harasses the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea. (Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS//File Photo / Reuters Photos)
Microsoft has not indicated that Saturday's fiber cuts are due to sabotage.
Fox Business' Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report