Iran wants to charge fees for the use of internet cables laid in the Strait of Hormuz
This is reported by CNN and Euronews.
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari has announced the introduction of fees for internet cables. Companies involved in submarine cables will have to pay licence fees for laying the cable, and rights to repair and maintenance will be granted exclusively to Iranian firms.
Iranian media outlets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have also stated their intention to require companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon to comply with Iranian legislation.
Mostafa Taheri, a member of Iran’s parliamentary committee on industry, has estimated the potential revenue from transit fees at $15 billion.
It is currently unclear how Iran can force the tech giants to comply with these requirements, as strict US sanctions prohibit transfers to the country.
Iran cites the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), arguing that the seabed falls under the jurisdiction of Iran and Oman. However, UNCLOS includes the principle of innocent passage, which protects the uninterrupted flow of international shipping and communications. Iran has signed UNCLOS but has not ratified it.
Iranian state media have issued veiled threats, warning of damage to cables that could affect global data transmission and internet connectivity worldwide.
Several major intercontinental submarine cables run through the Strait of Hormuz. Due to security risks, international operators deliberately avoid Iranian waters, concentrating most cables in a narrow strip along the Omani side of the waterway. However, two of these cables, Falcon and Gulf Bridge International (GBI), do cross Iranian territorial waters.
The Iranian news agency Tasnim claims that at least seven major communication cables serving the Gulf states pass through the strait.
As a reminder, it was previously reported that the UAE is building a new oil pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
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