> maritime law that allows any nation state to freely roam over important cables.

I'd like to see your version of maritime law that doesn't allow freely roaming over important cables. Your country's enemies would gladly drop cables totally encircling you and say "uh uh uh, important cables!" if you tried to leave your perimeter

This assumes people are very stupid, no? Like, as if they wouldn't know what was happening and just had to let it happen?

I realize US politics may suggest otherwise but I can't imagine the military is just gonna stand by and entertain such a farce..