Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 141 posts

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#61

Post by TheGRS »

ericmay wrote: post #51
epistasis wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US has never looked, or been, weaker than it is right now. It was Jimmy Carter that established that the Strait of Hormuz would stay open, through the strength of the US military threat. And now? The US is a paper tiger, making ridiculous threats via barely used social media platforms and then revoking them with just as little formality. The US has already done its worst, except for nukes, and the threats of nuki…

None of these things are true, it's just propaganda. > The US has never looked, or been, weaker than it is right now. Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to American power. If this was true, that America has never been weaker than it is right now, why wouldn't China just go ahead and invade Taiwan? This is the perfect opportunity! Or is it that the US is so strong that even at its weakest point it can dete…

I have a really tough time looking at the current situation and not seeing the USA knocked down at least several pegs. In regard to China, my read is they are gaining more power from this episode and allowing the US step on rakes than they would from a Taiwan invasion.

Not all power is measured in military might, that seems to be the mistake the Trump administration has made time and time again.

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#63

Post by Ifkaluva »

montyanne wrote: post #47
smallmancontrov wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Starting a war with Iran without filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserves at $60/bbl was truly special.

Refilling the SPR would’ve required finding money to actually buy some oil. Put simply the SPR is broke/in debt. Over the last few years congress passed pieces of legislation (infrastructure bills, healthcare changes, BBB) and used future SPR oil sales as an "offsetting receipt". Basically they say the’ll sell off millions of barrels of SPR holdings, count the future revenue as negative spending on paper, and use tha…

Well whatever debt they took on to refill it would have been paid off quickly.

Buy at $60, start a war with Iran, sell at the new price, profit.

I guess the reason they didn’t do this is they thought Iran would fold quickly and oil would become even cheaper than $60

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#64

Post by epistasis »

ericmay wrote: post #58
ceejayoz wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to American power. Oh, come on. NATO and Gulf allies are starting to deny US use of their bases, and Trump's been credibly threatening to leave NATO. We've also nixed a bunch of our soft power programs like USAID.

NATO just today as reported by Bloomberg said that if the Strait isn't open by July that it will take or consider taking action. [1] Your view of the situation doesn't match reality. Separately, we still have like 11 aircraft carriers and our entire military still in tact. Nothing has changed with respect to our power. If you think otherwise, you are simply wrong. There's no other way to put it. [1] https://www.bloom…

Oh, 8 weeks, and they'll think about doing something? Huh, yeah, I'm sure that strong statement will have a big impact.

> Separately, we still have like 11 aircraft carriers and our entire military still in tact. Nothing has changed with respect to our power. If you think otherwise, you are simply wrong. There's no other way to put it.

Naval power has shifted massively over the past four years due to massive technology change, and the US has done nothing to adapt or learn from its former ally, Ukraine.

You are simply wrong and outdate in your thinking, and not understanding the current reality. Which is why you accuse others of the same thing, it's classic projection.

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#65

Post by pessimizer »

tjwebbnorfolk wrote: post #21
gowld wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is nobody going to do if Iran military cuts cables? Or blocks repair ships after normal accidental damage?

I imagine they'll be able to cut exactly one cable before the US starts bombing them again. If my goal is to profit from subsea cables I don't own, getting bombed doesn't sound like a great strategy if I'm Iran. It's information war to scare US companies away from the middle east.

Do you think the US was holding back on bombing Iran? It doesn't work; they have always prepared for an American attack, because they are a government that was formed by overthrowing the dictatorship that the US installed after destroying their democracy, and the US has been constantly threatening them ever since.

This is the only fight they've been preparing for. They knew they were going to be facing an overwhelmingly superior navy and air force. That's why everything is dug in, buried and hidden. It's also why the propagandistic idea that they're a "terrorist state" is stupid, because a terrorist state would be prepared to do terrorist damage. The only terrorist arming and funding was from the US and Israel to people in Iran. I don't even see any heightened security at any level in the US - we're not even expecting anything.

Don't believe that the US can eradicate all ability for Iran to do something as trivial as cutting an undersea cable anytime soon. They would still have the ability cut the cables as a last gasp after they were totally defeated at every level.

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#66

Post by bonsai_spool »

ericmay wrote: post #51
epistasis wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US has never looked, or been, weaker than it is right now. It was Jimmy Carter that established that the Strait of Hormuz would stay open, through the strength of the US military threat. And now? The US is a paper tiger, making ridiculous threats via barely used social media platforms and then revoking them with just as little formality. The US has already done its worst, except for nukes, and the threats of nuki…

None of these things are true, it's just propaganda. > The US has never looked, or been, weaker than it is right now. Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to American power. If this was true, that America has never been weaker than it is right now, why wouldn't China just go ahead and invade Taiwan? This is the perfect opportunity! Or is it that the US is so strong that even at its weakest point it can dete…

I don't have a strong interest in this issue but it would appear your responses aren't incorporating the full scope of recent facts:

> Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to American power

Yes, actually - Iran is charging tolls and was not doing that before. This is in the face of an American naval blockade right in their neighborhood. That is an affront to power, at least for the moment.

The China point is really immaterial to the instant issue of the Strait, but even there China is very obviously growing more aggressive (cf the recent trip of the Taiwanese president where he had to sneak out of his nation).

> The United States casually walked in and bombed the hell out of Iran's military and killed its leaders.

Yes, but now the Strait transit is being dictated by the new rulers. We can keep killing them but the issue is that we are no longer in control of a situation that we used to be in control of. That's why the paper tiger comparison is apt—for all our bombs, this isn't in our hands.

> there's basically nothing I can do about it except to bomb defenseless oil tankers.

Iran has bombed over a dozen US installations, probably the greatest damage to US military installations in recent memory, if ever. This includes destroying equipment that's worth > $700 M. The oil tankers are kind of a distraction when they can clearly damage all of our allies' infrastructure despite being decapitated by the first strikes.

> In order to be the guarantor of the seas you have to take actions like the on in Iran.

The whole point of this is we cannot guarantee passage in the Strait. I don't think that will over go back to how it was.

> By the way, why is the US the one that has to do this?

We don't and because of this current issue, nobody will be able to do it until our next world war establishes a new, single hegemon. It was convenient while it lasted because it allowed stability for our post-war economy.

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#67

Post by ericmay »

TheGRS wrote: post #61
ericmay wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

None of these things are true, it's just propaganda. > The US has never looked, or been, weaker than it is right now. Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to American power. If this was true, that America has never been weaker than it is right now, why wouldn't China just go ahead and invade Taiwan? This is the perfect opportunity! Or is it that the US is so strong that even at its weakest point it can dete…

I have a really tough time looking at the current situation and not seeing the USA knocked down at least several pegs. In regard to China, my read is they are gaining more power from this episode and allowing the US step on rakes than they would from a Taiwan invasion. Not all power is measured in military might, that seems to be the mistake the Trump administration has made time and time again.

China imports oil from Iran and Venezuela. China's economy is not doing so hot because by being dependent on exports with less than ideal domestic consumption you wind up with, say, 17% youth unemployment.

You're reading the news and hearing about all the bad things about America because that's what everyone cares about talking about and what everyone knows the most about. Most people outside of China can't speak Mandarin, and don't read Chinese news - not that they report bad things that are going on, and so we have to rely on smaller samples of western media outlets.

If you have a perception that the US is knocked down several pegs (whatever that means) it's because you're consuming news that focuses squarely on criticism of the United States.

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#68

Post by ceejayoz »

ericmay wrote: post #58
ceejayoz wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to American power. Oh, come on. NATO and Gulf allies are starting to deny US use of their bases, and Trump's been credibly threatening to leave NATO. We've also nixed a bunch of our soft power programs like USAID.

NATO just today as reported by Bloomberg said that if the Strait isn't open by July that it will take or consider taking action. [1] Your view of the situation doesn't match reality. Separately, we still have like 11 aircraft carriers and our entire military still in tact. Nothing has changed with respect to our power. If you think otherwise, you are simply wrong. There's no other way to put it. [1] https://www.bloom…

> consider taking action

Even if they decide to do so, why would we expect them to be more successful than the US military - which outspends the entire rest of NATO - at it?

> Separately, we still have like 11 aircraft carriers…

Yeah, and we're straining to keep them handling the load.

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2026/05/11/epic-fur...

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/us/politics/uss-ford-fire...

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#69

Post by cgh »

jmyeet wrote: post #36
LurkandComment wrote: post #2

The Strait of Hormuz is a such a historical f-up. 1) It cuts the oil supply 2) It creates the demand and infrastructure for non-US backed Oil 3) It gives Iran a revenue stream and domain over taxing the Strait where none existed before 4) Crypto happens outstide of reach of most sanctions 5) Not knowing your footing: This has now encompassed the placement of underseas cables and global connectivity 5) As time goes on…

It was clear from very early on that this war was (IMHO) the largest strategic blunder in US history and it's not even close. Prior to this, closing the Strait was an untested threat. This war forced Iran to prove they can in fact close the Strait and there's nothing the largest military on Earth can do about it. Well done, everybody, the system works. The one point I'll disagree with is that sanctions do prevent you…

Re fertilizer, it’s already happening. Potash exports from Canada, the world’s largest producer, have surged. In another US own goal, I believe potash demand will offer serious Canadian leverage in CUSMA negotiations.

Re: Iran demands Big Tech pay fees for undersea Internet cables in Strait of Hormuz

#70

Post by TheGRS »

juvoly wrote: post #40
smallmancontrov wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Starting a war with Iran without filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserves at $60/bbl was truly special.

The Iran regime was obviously going to be a push over. Not the first forever war initiated as a Blitzkrieg. Not the last either.

I always felt the implication of power was a lot more valuable to US interests than exercising it, cheaper too for that matter. And even very recent history revealed that with the greatest military strength ever seen, the US cannot achieve all of its desires through force.
Post reply on HN