The Iranian authorities not only want to tax maritime traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, they also plan to impose rights of passage on fiber optic cables deployed under the waters of the Strait and which provide a good part of Internet traffic between the Gulf countries, Asia and Europe.
“Last week, in Tehran, parliamentarians debated a bill targeting submarine cables connecting Arab countries to Europe and Asia†, reports CNN. According to the American media, the Iranian plan would aim to oblige any foreign operator wishing to pass cables through the Strait of Hormuz to request prior authorization, to pay passage fees and to comply with Iranian legislation.
Cable maintenance and repair operations would also be reserved for Iranian companies. “We are going to impose taxes on Internet cables†, said Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Iranian army, on X.
Media close to the government have made veiled threats, warning that damage to submarine cables could affect a significant portion of global data transmission. The consequences would be much more serious than a simple reduction in Internet speeds. A possible sabotage would threaten “entire systemsâ€from financial transactions to military communications, “including cloud infrastructure dedicated to artificial intelligence, teleworking, online gaming and streaming services†, précise CNN.
“The Strait of Hormuz is our nuclear weaponâ€
According to experts, the majority of operators have taken the precaution of passing their cables across the strait, but two essential cables cross Iranian territorial waters. The Revolutionary Guards have divers and underwater drones which clearly represent a risk for these cables simply laid on the seabed, at shallow depths and lacking any particular protection.
Iranian media argue that the collection of a tax on submarine cables passing through territorial waters is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They particularly mention the case of Egypt: many cables connecting Europe and Asia pass through the Suez Canal and Cairo collects it every year hundreds of millions of dollars in transit fees.
This project highlights the importance of the Strait of Hormuz “au-delà des exportations de pétroleâ€CNN analysis. Tehran intends to make it a lasting economic and strategic lever. For the regime, it is not only a question of demonstrating its control over the Strait, but also of ensuring its survival. “Hormuz is our nuclear weapon†, the vice-president of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Nikzad, reportedly declared.
