Trump has once again made a tough statement against Iran and made it clear that Washington is less and less willing to delay resolving the conflict.
“Time is almost up for Iran. They better start acting faster, or there will be nothing left of the country,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Since April, when active hostilities were somewhat slowed down, the US and Iran have not come any closer to real agreements.
Trump has previously used the toughest language. On one occasion, he even said that the consequences could be such that “an entire civilization would disappear overnight.”
Now, there was again almost no specifics, but the situation around the region remains tense.
The main problem is the Strait of Hormuz, through which a huge volume of the world’s oil passes.
Due to instability in the region, fuel prices remain high. In the US, gasoline is also getting more expensive; according to AAA, the average price has already reached $4.51 per gallon.
Washington still demands that Iran abandon its nuclear program and not interfere with shipping through the strait.
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Tehran, for its part, wants to achieve the lifting of port restrictions, compensation for war damage, and an end to hostilities in the region, including the situation around Lebanon.
Iran Starts to Pressure Through Internet Infrastructure
Iran has now begun to apply pressure through the internet issue as well. In Tehran, there is talk about undersea cables near the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, through which part of the traffic between Europe, Asia, and Middle Eastern countries passes.
It’s not just about regular internet. These lines carry banking operations, data from major services, and international communications.
Iranian authorities are now discussing the idea of charging large technology companies for using these routes.
At the same time, Iranian media linked to the state and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have already hinted that if companies refuse, the cables could be at risk.
Last week, Iranian lawmakers also began discussing this topic.
“We will introduce a fee for internet cables,” said Iranian military representative Ebrahim Zolfaghari in a post on X.
In Iranian media, they have already started to say directly that the new rules could force Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon to comply with Tehran‘s terms when operating through this region.
At the same time, there is discussion about the idea that only local companies would have access to cable repair and maintenance, and foreign corporations would have to pay separately to use the routes.
However, it is still unclear to what extent Iran is actually capable of really controlling such infrastructure.
Some major tech companies have indeed invested in developing cable infrastructure in the Persian Gulf area, but whether these cables pass through waters where Tehran can actually dictate terms is an open question.
There is another difficulty. The problem is that due to American sanctions, Western companies are almost unable to officially transfer money to Iran at all.
Therefore, many currently see these statements more as an attempt to pressure the market and create additional tension.
But in Iranian media, they have already started discussing a tougher option — possible problems with the undersea cables themselves. And this is already not just about the internet.
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Part of the important communication lines between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East pass through the Strait of Hormuz. They are essential for financial transactions, exchanges, cloud services, and international traffic.
If serious disruptions begin in this region, the consequences could affect not only communications, but also the operation of global services and payment systems.
For some East African countries, the risks are even higher; cable problems there could even lead to partial internet outages.
US Talks About Support From China
Against this backdrop, Trump also said that Xi Jinping allegedly supported the idea of opening the Strait of Hormuz. However, in Beijing itself, they did not confirm this.
Xi himself has not publicly commented on possible discussions between Iran and Trump.
In China, they limited themselves to a maximally neutral response. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs only stated that this conflict should never have started and that there is no reason for it to continue now.
In Iran itself, discussions continue in parallel about how to control the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the parliamentary security committee, said that the authorities have already prepared their own system for managing ship passage.
According to him, in the near future Iran intends to announce a separate route for passage through the strait.
Azizi also noted that priority will be given to commercial vessels and countries cooperating with Iran.
For certain services and escort, the authorities plan to charge additional fees.
