WANA (May 23) – Reza Taghipour, a member of the Iranian Parliament and former Minister of Information and Communications Technology, has pointed to the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz not only for global energy transit, but also for international internet infrastructure.

 

Speaking during a televised program, Taghipour said that a significant number of undersea fiber-optic cables carrying global data traffic pass through the region. According to him, these cables form part of the backbone of the world’s internet and digital communications network.

 

As an example, the Iranian MP referred to the AAE-1 (Asia-Africa-Europe-1) submarine cable system, one of the world’s major international data routes connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe. The cable was designed with a capacity of 40 terabits per second (Tbps) and stretches roughly 25,000 kilometers.

 

Taghipour stated that part of the AAE-1 cable passes through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the geopolitical significance of the waterway beyond oil transportation.

 

He added that, under international treaties and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, sections of the route fall within Iran’s territorial waters. “Just as discussions focus on the Strait of Hormuz in terms of energy transit, the undersea cables passing through it are also strategically important,” he said.