IRGC-Linked Media Proposes Taxing Undersea Internet Cables in Strait of Hormuz

Media outlets affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have outlined a controversial plan to impose taxes and exert control over undersea internet cables traversing the Strait of Hormuz. Tasnim News Agency, regarded as an official mouthpiece for the IRGC, suggested generating revenue by charging fees on the digital infrastructure that facilitates approximately $10 trillion in daily global transactions. This proposal marks a significant escalation in geopolitical tensions, transforming the Strait of Hormuz from a traditional oil and shipping choke point into a potential digital pressure point. The move threatens to disrupt critical global data flows and supply chains, compounding existing concerns about regional stability. If Iranian leadership adopts this strategy, it could lead to severe interruptions in international communications and financial systems, leveraging digital connectivity as a tool for economic coercion. The situation highlights the growing vulnerability of physical internet infrastructure to state-level geopolitical maneuvers, raising alarms among global tech and security analysts about the future reliability of transoceanic data transmission routes in conflict-prone regions.