Sure it can (most of the bits, anyway). You can go the opposite way around the world or around the edge of Africa, for instance. Latency will go up, and it’ll add to the congestion of other trunk cables, but rerouting is certainly possible for any location where the cables in the strait aren’t your only route out. The real damage will be to the middle-eastern countries served directly by these cables, and it may be a bit of a headache for people who maintain Internet infrastructure.
Although Iran might cut the cables regardless, since one of the countries they appear to serve is Iran itself. Easiest way to control the news is to limit the flow of information across the border.
Surely the Internet can route the bits some other place
Sure it can (most of the bits, anyway). You can go the opposite way around the world or around the edge of Africa, for instance. Latency will go up, and it’ll add to the congestion of other trunk cables, but rerouting is certainly possible for any location where the cables in the strait aren’t your only route out. The real damage will be to the middle-eastern countries served directly by these cables, and it may be a bit of a headache for people who maintain Internet infrastructure.
Although Iran might cut the cables regardless, since one of the countries they appear to serve is Iran itself. Easiest way to control the news is to limit the flow of information across the border.