The UK has signed an agreement with Norway and four other North Sea countries to protect critical energy and telecommunications infrastructure that lies under the sea.

Recent damage to energy pipelines and subsea fibre optic cables has led to an increased focus on making sure the critical infrastructure is secure.

Over the last few months, the Houthis in Yemen have threatened to sabotage crucial undersea communication cables, including internet lines, that run under the Red Sea. In September 2022, a series of underwater explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines caused gas to leak into the surrounding waters. The pipelines were designed to transport natural gas from Russia to Europe, although that trade had ceased several months prior due to the conflict in Ukraine.

The North Sea in particular is home to a significant amount of critical infrastructure including gas and oil pipelines, electricity transmission cables and offshore wind installations.

The subsea infrastructure in the North...