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Iran eyes fees on Hormuz internet cables as new lever against the West

EuroNews · · 497 words · By Babak Kamiar
State Control of Information Digital Sovereignty vs. International Law Geopolitical Conflict in the Strait of Hormuz
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/15/iran-eyes-fees-on-hormuz-internet-cables-as-…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

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

check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 4
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
schedule Pending 1
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“Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, proposed that Iran charge transit fees to the international consortia that own and operate the cables”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (IBTimes and Ukrainian News) confirm that Tasnim News Agency, which is identified as IRGC-affiliated, proposed charging transit fees for submarine cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On April 12, 2025, Iran and the United States began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from US president Donald Trump to Iranian supreme leader Al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the 2026 Iran war covers the period since 28 February 2026. The war is ongoing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2026_Iran_war
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Mostafa Taheri, a member of Iran's parliamentary Industries Commission, put potential revenues from transit fees at up to $15 billion.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about 'shim plates' (industrial parts) and general Wikipedia entries on Iranian figures, with no mention of Mostafa Taheri or the $15 billion figure.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in the 2026 Iran wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown in th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Pahlavi
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), also known as Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) or Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO; Persian: سازمان مجاهدین خلق ایران, romanized: Sâzmân-e Mojâhedin-e Kha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Mojahedin_Organizatio…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Tasnim claimed at least seven major communication cables serving Gulf countries pass through the strait, including the FALCON, GBI and Gulf-TGN systems”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'least' and does not contain any information regarding communication cables or the FALCON, GBI, and Gulf-TGN systems.
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web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · The meaning of LEAST is lowest in importance or position. How to use least in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/least
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 13, 2026 · least (plural leasts) Preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the lowest - ranking or most insignificant person or (sometimes) group of people.
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/least
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web search NEUTRAL — We use the quantifier least to talk about quantities, amounts and degree. (The) least is the superlative form of little. …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/least
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“Iran has signed UNCLOS but never ratified it.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is confirmed by a cross-reference (Ft) and multiple web search results stating that Iran signed UNCLOS in 1982 but has not ratified it.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Vienna Convention can mean any of a number of treaties signed in Vienna. Most are related to the harmonization or formalization of the procedures of international diplomacy, but some are not. several…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_the_United_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, also known as the Hanoi Convention, is a treaty to facilitate international cooperation in the enforcement of cybercrime laws. It was proposed by Russ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_agai…
+ 4 more evidence sources
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“NetBlocks reported this week that the blackout had entered its 76th day”
CORROBORATED
NetBlocks reports are cited in web results, specifically mentioning the blackout hitting day 75 and entering the 76th day (implied by 'hits day 75' and '18 hours ago' context in the search snippet).
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web search NEUTRAL — Reports from Iran described widespread telephone and internet blackouts in Tehran, with additional disruptions reported in Isfahan, Lordegan, Abdanan, parts of Shiraz, and Kermanshah.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Internet_blackout_in_Iran
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web search NEUTRAL — “Iran has now entered the seventh day of a near-total telecoms blackout, with the incident passing the 144-hour mark,” NetBlocks, a digital governance and connectivity tracker, posted on X.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2026/01/14…
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web search NEUTRAL — NetBlocks: 69 Days Have Passed Since the Nationwide Internet Shutdown in Iran.Internet blackout in Iran hits day 75. 18 hours ago. Save for later.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
info
“Iran's Communications Minister acknowledged in April that around 10 million people depended on stable digital access for their livelihoods, and that the shutdown was costing businesses 600 billion tomans a day.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms a massive internet blackout in 2026 and its economic impact, there is no specific mention of the Communications Minister's April statement regarding 10 million people or the 600 billion tomans figure in the provided text.
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web search NEUTRAL — On 7 April, access to the global internet in Iran remained at roughly 1% of pre‑war levels. Most residents could only use a slow, restricted intranet that provided basic services and access mostly to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Internet_blackout_in_Iran
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web search NEUTRAL — The internet blackout in Iran is more than two months old, the longest on record. For millions who rely on being online to make a living, the void has been devastating. But some have privileged access…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/594811/iran-s-two-tier-inte…
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web search NEUTRAL — A shutdown was also imposed during the Iran-Israel conflict in June 2025. However, the current blackout has lasted longer than any previous shutdown. In a public statement, the charity Access Now said…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5gegrdq3go
info
“The strait, which separates Iran from Oman, is around 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest point.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence consists of general definitions of 'strait' and lists of straits, but does not provide the specific measurement of 22 kilometers for the Strait of Hormuz.
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web search NEUTRAL — A strait is a water body connecting two seas or water basins. The surface water is, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and can flow through the strait in either direction, although…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait
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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strait
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 23, 2026 · Straits are narrow waterways that link two larger bodies of water. Commonly straits are formed by tectonic activity, such as a fracture in an isthmus. Alternatively straits can appear d…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/List-of-Important-Straits
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“Under normal conditions, roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes through it.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (a Wikipedia entry on the 2026 crisis and a New York Times/general news search result) confirm that approximately 20% of the world's oil and LNG passes through the strait.
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web search NEUTRAL — About 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually passes through the strait and hostilities had sent global fuel prices soaring. Oil prices plunged by around 15% shortly after the a…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78n6p09pzno
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web search NEUTRAL — A quarter of the world’s oil and 20 percent of the world’s liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, so mining the choke point would cause oil and gas prices to soar.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/world/middleeast/strait-h…
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web search NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
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“Iran effectively closed it to commercial shipping when the war began”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.
info
“The US Navy imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports on 13 April.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is supported by a single cross-reference from EuroNews, but no other independent sources in the provided evidence corroborate the specific date of April 13 for the blockade.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — On 13 April, the US Navy imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports
https://euronews.com/2026/04/29/trump-warns-iran-to-better-g…
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“A ceasefire has been in place since 8 April”
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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.