Why Iran Is Threatening the Subsea Cables Beneath the Strait of Hormuz

After reportedly shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now said to be looking at the critical undersea cables that run beneath the key waterway passage amid the rising tensions with the United States and the still ongoing conflict across the Middle East. These underwater lines are especially important because they move internet services, financial payments, military messaging, AI-related information, and even routine digital traffic that links Europe, Asia and the Gulf region. Some reports even claim that Tehran is trying to gain more control and influence over these vital communication lines. 

What Are Iran’s New Rules for Undersea Internet Cables in Strait of Hormuz?

Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari recently said on X that Iran intends to start charging fees on internet cables that run through the Strait of Hormuz in which Iranian state media added that big tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon should end up following Iranian laws too. 

In the version being floated, companies that manage these underwater lines might be made to pay licensing costs to Iran and if there is any need for repair and maintenance work that would only be permitted if Iranian firms do it which sounds simple but is messy in practice. 

Iranian lawmakers apparently talked about the idea just last week but it is still not clear how workable or how enforceable it would really be. With US sanctions in place many American companies can’t easily send payments to Iran so some experts think these statements could be more like a political reminder than a fully official program. 

Still, concerns don’t fully go away because Iranian state-linked outlets also mentioned potential harms to the cables even if that was left pretty vague. 

What Are Subsea Cables and Why Are They Important? 

Subsea cables are a very important part of the global internet machine. Most of the world’s online information, banking transactions, streaming services, financial networks, and cross border communications travel through these hidden lines put deep under the sea.

Many major international cables also go through the Strait of Hormuz. 

Because of security concerns, most cable operators try to avoid Iranian waters so they route their cables through a tight section near Oman. 

However, according to TeleGeography research director Alan Mauldin, two cables including Falcon and Gulf Bridge International, keep on passing through Iranian territorial waters.

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