In a report examining discussions surrounding the potential charging of fees on submarine internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz, The Guardian wrote that the Islamic Republic’s implementation of such a plan seems “highly unlikely.”
The British newspaper pointed out that at least seven internet cables run beneath the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that many of these cables are of vital importance to the development of digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence-related projects in the Persian Gulf nations.
The Guardian went on to question whether Iran fundamentally possesses the capability to extract fees from the companies or countries utilizing this route. Citing legal and technical hurdles, the report characterized the realization of such an idea as difficult.
The newspaper quoted a former U.S. State Department official specializing in global internet infrastructure, who stated: “Charging specific companies is practically impossible because there is no way to isolate and segregate their internet traffic.”
The report also noted that most of these cables are not even connected to Iran and run along the seabed at a significant distance from the Iranian coastline. According to the former U.S. official, the only way to exert pressure on the cables or the vessels associated with them would be through “threats” - an action that he noted lacks precedent at this scale.
