Guardian Map Shows Key Digital Cables Passing Through Strait of Hormuz (+Photo)

At least seven cables lie along the bed of the strait's waters, many of which are vital to the massive development of artificial intelligence in Persian Gulf countries.

Can submarine cables - which are the vital arteries of the global Internet - become a new front in the US-Israeli battle against Iran?

According to Ferraro's report, quoted by the Guardian, Iranian media suggested that the country could take advantage of its leverage over the strait by charging American technology companies for the use of internet cables that pass through the Strait of Hormuz (a 40-kilometer route between Iran and Oman).

At least seven cables are located in the waters of this strait, many of which are vital for the massive development of artificial intelligence in the Persian Gulf countries. But what exactly does Iran propose and is this action practical and realistic?

What program has Iran announced?

The proposed plan includes three parts: first, receiving royalties (license fees) from foreign companies to use submarine cables; Second, the requirement for "tech giants" (which include Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft) to "operate under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran," which probably means forming joint ventures; And third, taking over the monopoly of maintenance and maintenance of these submarine cables and possibly charging for these services from international parties. According to this media, this action will "turn the Strait of Hormuz into a strategic pole for creating legitimate wealth."

All these cases are legally justified based on Article 34 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (adopted in 1982). According to this news agency, this article allows Iran to claim part of the seabed of the Strait of Hormuz as its territory, even though its surface waters are used for international shipping.

Do other countries do this?

Not in the same way. Iranian media have pointed to the example of Egypt, which earns between 250 and 400 million dollars annually by charging fees for submarine cables. Egypt charges a fee for the cables that pass through its territory and, in some cases, jointly owns and operates these cables through Telecom Egypt. Revenue figures from this work have not been made public, although it is estimated to be a significant portion of Telecom Egypt's total revenue.

However, according to Doug Madhuri, Internet infrastructure expert at Kentik, the difference is that the cables in question actually pass through Egyptian soil; In fact, many of them pass through Egypt by land along highways and oil pipelines.

Can Iran really charge for submarine cables and how is this possible?

It is very unlikely. A former US State Department official who specializes in the global Internet says that, from a legal perspective, there are concerns about sanctions. It would also be impossible to charge specific companies because there is no way to segregate their internet traffic.

Most of the discussed cables do not end in Iran; They pass under the sea at a distance from the shore. Madhuri claimed: "The only way they can get tolls for ships or submarine cables is through threats." This is not something we have seen before.

How easy will it be for Iran to cut these submarine cables? Madhuri describes it as "a suicide operation". There have been numerous news reports of suspicious cable cutting in the Baltic Sea and Red Sea, and some suggest that submarine cable cutting could become a future war tactic for the Houthis, Russia, or China.

However, Madhuri says many of these reports are "exaggerated". It is likely that most cable breaks are caused by incidents such as ships pulling anchors, rather than deliberate sabotage. As for Iran, it is highly unlikely that it will be able to cut the cables under the Strait of Hormuz without being detected; Because this country basically does not have the necessary technology for such work. For this purpose, Iran will have to act openly and under the continuous US air patrols.

What will be the consequences of cutting the cable in the Strait of Hormuz?

According to Madhuri's claim, such an outage will disrupt internet traffic in the Persian Gulf region, but may not have much impact on the global communication network; Because the cables passing under the Strait of Hormuz mainly serve the countries of the Persian Gulf, unlike the cables that pass through the Suez Canal and Egypt and transfer a large volume of traffic between Europe and Asia. For example, Iraq and Iran have alternative land routes to communicate.

In theory, the problem of breaking the submarine cable can be easily solved. Madhuri says that cable cuts are common, with several happening every week; Also, more than a dozen repair ships are constantly repairing these cables around the world. However, if Iran threatens these repair ships, they may refuse to take that risk: Cable repair ships do not operate under fire. This situation can prolong the duration of the disorder.