Iran's Push for Fees on the World's Internet Cables Turns the Strait of Hormuz Into a 20% Global Traffic Weapon

Source: International Business Times

Iran says it will start charging fees on the undersea internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz, taking aim at a vital digital bottleneck that carries roughly 20% of the world's data and financial traffic. Media outlets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have urged the government to generate revenue from these submarine fibre-optic networks. The coordinated messaging frames the waterway not just as a traditional shipping and energy corridor, but as a digital pressure point that Tehran can leverage against foreign tech companies.