Iran’s Chokehold on Global Internet

Iran is now considering imposing strict new rules on major technology firms which use underwater Internet lines in its waters. According to local reports, companies such as Google and Meta would be forced to acquire licenses, submit to technical inspections and pay specific sovereignty fees. As the Strait of Hormuz serves as a key digital bridge which hosts a large amount of cable systems, regional governments have considerable leverage over international web traffic. This comes in the wake of a warning from an influential Iranian official about attacking vital regional digital infrastructure, including data centers and artificial intelligence hubs, should hostilities with the United States and Israel erupt again. In essence, the Iranian government is now seeking to both profit from access to critical submarine cables and dominate key information gateways running through the Persian Gulf.

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