Geopolitical tensions drive Iran to assert control over critical digital infrastructure amid global internet governance gaps
Original framing: “CNN: Iran eyeing control over key internet cable routes” — Middle East Eye
Submarine cables have been a geopolitical battleground since the 19th century, when British and French empires laid cables to project power and extract resources. The Strait of Hormuz has been a chokepoint for trade since ancient Persia, and its control has shifted from Portuguese to British to American dominance. Iran's current moves echo Cold War-era struggles over 'command and control' of global communications, now repurposed for the digital age.
The CNN headline frames Iran's moves as a unilateral threat, but the story is a symptom of deeper systemic failures: a colonial-era internet infrastructure now weaponized in geopolitical rivalries, a lack of multilateral governance for digital sovereignty, and the exclusion of non-Western actors from global tech ecosystems.
Iran's 'National Information Network' and focus on submarine cables are rational responses to these gaps, echoing historical patterns of chokepoint control from the Persian Empire to the Cold War. The Strait of Hormuz, a cultural and economic artery, is now a digital battleground where Western tech giants, Gulf states, and Iran compete for control. A solution lies in reimagining digital infrastructure as a public good, governed by inclusive frameworks that prioritize redundancy, equity, and community stewardship—moving beyond the binary of 'open internet' vs. 'sovereign internet' to a pluralistic, resilient model. The trickster's laughter reminds us that the current framing is a performance: the real absurdity is the unchecked power of Western firms over a global commons they claim to defend.