Middle East Crisis Strait of Hormuz

Iran threatens to take control of network cables in Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is threatening to demand fees from tech giants for the fiber-optic network cables that run through the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports.

"After taking control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, with its absolute sovereignty over the water and seabed in its territorial sea [...] can decide that all fiber-optic cables in the waterway require permit fees," they write on social media.

CNN calls the cables one of the global economy's "hidden arteries" and writes that they transport enormous amounts of data, not least financial.

Oskar Frånberg, associate professor of marine systems engineering at Blekinge University of Technology, however, downplays the seriousness.

- A little data traffic may disappear, but it is mainly redirected, he tells Ekot.

Unmanned sea drones can clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz

American defense technology companies are preparing to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz with unmanned sea drones, reports the Financial Times.

Britain has also promised to send mine-clearing drones in the multinational project to clear the strait “when the situation allows”.

According to the US, Iran has not laid many mines in the strait, but according to experts, it is enough to disrupt shipping.

“Minefields do not have to be effective as long as everyone thinks they are there, because how do you prove they are not there?” says Jon Pentreath, former admiral in the British navy.

Unlike older sea mines, which were located near the surface and detonated on physical contact, modern sea mines are usually located on the bottom and use sensors.