Microsoft's Azure cloud services have been disrupted by undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea, the US tech giant says.

The company said Azure users would experience delays because of problems with internet traffic moving through the Middle East. Azure is among the world's leading cloud computing platforms.

Microsoft did not explain what might have caused the cuts to the undersea cables. It added that it had rerouted traffic through other paths.

Over the weekend, there were reports that undersea cable cuts had affected the United Arab Emirates and countries in Asia.

An update posted on Microsoft's website on Saturday stated that Azure traffic transiting through the Middle East may experience increased latency due to these undersea fibre cuts.

Traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is reportedly not affected.

Cables laid on the ocean floor transmit data between continents and are often described as the backbone of the internet.

NetBlocks, an organization monitoring internet access, confirmed that a series of subsea cable cuts in the Red Sea had disrupted internet services in several countries, including India and Pakistan.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Company indicated that the cable cuts occurred near the Saudi city of Jeddah and warned that internet services could be affected during peak hours. Service disruptions were also reported in the UAE.

Undersea cables can suffer damage from dropped anchors but can also be targeted in terrorist attacks.

In a previous incident, several communications cables in the Red Sea were cut in February 2024, impacting data traffic between Asia and Europe. This event came shortly after warnings from Yemen's government concerning potential sabotage by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, although the Houthis denied any involvement.

Similar disruptions have been seen in the Baltic Sea, where a series of undersea cables and gas pipelines have been damaged in suspected attacks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Authorities in Sweden earlier this year seized a ship suspected of damaging a cable running under the Baltic Sea, suggesting possible sabotage.