Tehran eyes exclusive repair rights for its firms on critical internet backbone…
Proposal floats amid sanctions as Iran tests choke point power over Big Tech…
Bold move 🇮🇷💞🎖: Iran wants to charge IT giants for undersea internet cables
Tehran says companies like Google, Microsoft,Meta, &Amazon must comply with Iranian law and pay licensing fees for laying & operating cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf pic.twitter.com/a3xuapZdlE— Tehran Reports 24×7🇮🇷 (@Kmr_Vibes) May 18, 2026
Iran eyes Hormuz internet cables as new strategic and economic lever
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A report by CNN published on 17 May sheds light on how Iran is seeking to turn the submarine internet cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz into a new source of strategic leverage and revenue.This comes after… pic.twitter.com/vq2rnLfs1W
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) May 18, 2026
Factcheck:
**Yes, it’s based on real reports.** Iranian state-linked media (Tasnim, Fars) and military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari recently floated/threatened charging licensing fees on undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz, naming Google, Microsoft, Meta & Amazon. They’d also require compliance with Iranian law and give Iranian firms exclusive repair rights.
It’s still a proposal, not implemented policy. Experts (e.g. Guardian) call it legally dubious due to sanctions, international waters issues, and enforcement challenges.