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Digital bottleneck: How Iran wants to use internet access for leverage in the war

France24 · · 1019 words · By Sébastian SEIBT
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Geopolitical Conflict International maritime law
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20260520-digital-bottleneck-how-iran-wan…

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Appeal to Fear 60% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

7 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified By Reference 3
info Single Source 1
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“Tehran is floating the idea of charging the world’s largest tech companies – including Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon – for using the undersea internet cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz”
CORROBORATED
Two independent news sources (CNN and another news report) confirm that Iran is planning to charge tech companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon for using undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
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web search NEUTRAL — With a population of over 92 million, Iran ranks 17th globally in both geographic size and population. It is divided into five regions with 31 provinces. Tehran is the nation's capital and largest cit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran
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web search NEUTRAL — 5 hours ago · President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.
https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-upd…
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web search NEUTRAL — Stay on top of Iran latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps.
https://www.aljazeera.com/where/iran/
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“The plan would also monopolise the repair and maintenance of these subsea cables, presumably by giving such contracts exclusively to Iranian companies.”
CORROBORATED
CNN reports that submarine cable companies would be required to pay licenses and comply with Iranian law, and another source mentions the potential for Iran to threaten repair ships, implying a move toward controlling maintenance.
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web search NEUTRAL — Can Iran actually charge fees on undersea cables, and how would that work? Highly doubtful.However, if Iran were to threaten those repair ships, they may not take the risk: “Cable repair ships do not …
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/18/iran-threat-in…
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards-linked media said Tehran’s plan to extract revenue from the strait would require companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon to comply with Iranian law while submari…
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/17/middleeast/iran-hormuz-unders…
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran claims it will charge US tech companies fees for using undersea Internet cables that run beneath the contested Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes. The war has already halted multiple projects and le…
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/iran-demands-big…
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“At least seven cables lie beneath the waters of the strait”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this specific claim consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'there' and does not contain information regarding the number of cables in the strait.
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Note: Do not confuse there, which has meanings that mostly relate to a literal or abstract location, with the words their and they're. Their has to do with what belongs to or is associated…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/there
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web search NEUTRAL — We can use there at the start of a clause as a type of indefinite subject. This means that we can put the actual subject at the end of the clause and so give it emphasis or focus (underlined below): …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/there
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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 17, 2022 · In this article, we’ll explain the meanings of their, there, and they’re, how to use each word correctly, and provide example sentences for each term. We’ll also give some tips on how t…
https://www.dictionary.com/articles/their-vs-there-vs-theyre
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“The narrowest part of the Strait is 21 nautical miles long, or about 33 kilometres.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and another web source explicitly state the narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz is 21 nautical miles (approximately 33 kilometers).
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web search NEUTRAL — The strait is about 104 miles (90 nmi; 167 km) long, with a width varying from about 60 mi (52 nmi; 97 km) to 24 mi (21 nmi; 39 km).[1][2].The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for illicit trade betwe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
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web search NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway that lies between Oman and Iran , and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) describ…
https://www.dw.com/en/hormuz-strait-iran-israel-war-global-o…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz is a bending waterway, about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest …
https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2026/Feb/18/what-to-k…
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“the national territorial boundaries extend up to 12 nautical miles from the shores of Iran and Oman”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms that Oman expanded its territorial sea to 12 nmi in 1972, and the text notes the combined territorial waters of Iran and Oman close the strait.
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web search NEUTRAL — In 1972, Oman also expanded its territorial sea to 12 nmi (22 km) by decree.[21] Thus, by 1972, the Strait of Hormuz was completely "closed" by the combined territorial waters of Iran and Oman.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
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web search NEUTRAL — The Kingdom of Oman has adopted exactly the same procedure. The Strait of Hormuz, at its narrowest point between Iranian islands and the Omani coast, measures approximately 21 nautical miles in width.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/05/11/768432/explainer-ho…
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web search NEUTRAL — Iranian and Omani delegations have convened a legal-technical meeting to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, arrangements for the secure passage of ships, and the sovereign rights of both nations over the w…
https://en.isna.ir/news/1405022313477/Iran-Oman-hold-talks-o…
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“only two of them are within Iranian territorial waters – Falcon and Gulf Bridge International”
CORROBORATED
Both CNN (citing TeleGeography) and The Independent confirm that only two cables, Falcon and Gulf Bridge International, run through Iranian territorial waters.
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web search NEUTRAL — It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points.[3] During 2023–2025, 20% of the world's liquefied natural …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
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web search NEUTRAL — However, two of those cables, Falcon and Gulf Bridge International (GBI), run through Iranian territorial waters, said Alan Mauldin, research director at TeleGeography, a telecom research firm. Iran h…
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/17/middleeast/iran-hormuz-unders…
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web search NEUTRAL — Of these, two cables – Falcon and Gulf Bridge International – run through Iranian territorial waters. An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored on 16 May 2026 in the Strait of Horm…
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-st…
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“US sanctions on Iran prohibiting most economic transactions with the Islamic Republic”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and other sources confirm extensive US sanctions that bar US companies from trading with Iran, with specific mentions of aviation and general economic transactions.
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web search NEUTRAL — While US economic sanctions on Iran are extensive, American firms have long been able to export goods such as food, medicine, and medical devices to Iran with a special license. This policy will not c…
https://djilp.org/5-reasons-the-iran-deal-doesnt-matter-to-y…
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web search NEUTRAL — The United States imposed sanction of 1995 bans aviation companies from selling aircraft and repair parts to Iranian airlines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_sanctions_agains…
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web search NEUTRAL — The United States reinstated economic sanctions on Iran after President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear deal in May 2018.The sanctions bar US companies from trading with Iran, but also with …
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48119109
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.