Iran's Aggressive Move: Controlling Global Internet Cables Amid Tensions with US

Tehran: The conflict between the United States and Iran in West Asia has now moved beyond oil wells to the world of the Internet. Iran, under fire after the United States disabled three Iranian oil tankers in the past 72 hours, has announced a startling plan to take control of seven vital undersea Internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to the new policy, foreign companies will now have to obtain permits from Iran and pay hefty fees to pass data through the area. If the fees are not paid, Iran has issued a serious warning to cut the cables and blackout the Internet worldwide, which will have a direct impact on banking, stock markets, and global cloud services. Iran's aggressive announcement has caused a major disruption in global trade and not a single commercial ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours. The United States has retaliated by imposing severe sanctions on three Chinese satellite companies that help Iran. Iran has issued a clear warning to its oil tankers in the Middle East that if they are attacked, they will be targeted in the Gulf.