Overview
- Iran’s military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said the country will charge operators of undersea cables that cross Hormuz, and state-linked outlets hinted traffic could be disrupted if companies refuse to pay, according to CNN.
- Parliamentarians in Tehran reviewed a draft bill that would require passage licenses for cable systems and reserve repair and maintenance work for Iranian companies.
- Several major links cross the corridor, and at least two systems — Falcon and Gulf Bridge International — run through Iranian territorial waters, which gives Tehran points of leverage.
- Strict U.S. sanctions bar direct payments to Iran by companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, creating practical hurdles for any fee plan.
- TeleGeography estimates the Hormuz route carries under 1% of global bandwidth, yet subsea cables move more than 95% of international data, so experts warn even a narrow disruption could upend internet access, banking flows, and energy trade across the Gulf and nearby regions.