Iran wants to charge for undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran has announced plans to charge for the use of undersea internet cables running through the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to disrupt global networks. Tehran believes that control of the strategic route could boost its economic and political influence.

This is reported by CNN .

Iranian officials and media outlets affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have said that Tehran is considering charging international companies licensing fees for using undersea cables that pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghar wrote on social media X that Iran intends to “introduce a fee for internet cables.” The article also states that Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon may be required to comply with Iranian law if they use such routes.

Journalists note that some of the cables pass through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, but it is still unknown whether they directly cross Iranian territorial waters. At the same time, international companies cannot make payments to Tehran due to US sanctions.

Analysts say Iran is trying to use the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz not only to control oil routes but also to influence global digital communications. The undersea cables provide the bulk of international internet traffic, financial transactions and data exchange between Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf.

Mustafa Ahmed, a senior researcher at Habtoor Research Center, said most of the cables are laid along the Omani coast due to security risks associated with Iran. However, two cables — Falcon and Gulf Bridge International — pass through Iranian territorial waters.

“Any attack could cause a cascading digital disaster across multiple continents at once,” said Mustafa Ahmed.

According to experts, possible disruptions could affect banking systems, military communications, cloud services, international financial transactions, and internet connectivity in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Dina Esfandiari, director of the Middle East at Bloomberg Economics, noted that Iran is trying to demonstrate its influence over the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran seeks to create such a high price for the global economy that no one else will dare to attack the country,” said Dina Esfandiari.

The article also recalls that in 2024, 3 submarine cables were damaged in the Red Sea after a Houthi attack on a ship. About 25% of internet traffic in the region was disrupted at that time.

TeleGeography analysts note that cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz provide less than 1% of the world’s international bandwidth as of 2025. At the same time, even local damage can have serious consequences for individual states and economic sectors.

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