U.S. President Donald Trump renewed pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear program within hours of returning from Beijing, while Tehran countered by threatening to attack undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting major U.S. technology companies.
“They had better move quickly, or there will be nothing left for them,” Trump warned Iran on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday local time. The remarks are interpreted as demanding Iran comply with earlier conditions, including halting uranium enrichment for more than 20 years and immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Within hours of returning from China on Monday, Trump met with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the response to Iran, and is scheduled to convene another security meeting at the White House on Wednesday.
According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the United States sent Iran a response that included partial lifting of economic sanctions, but Tehran effectively rejected it. The key terms included refusal to compensate for war damages, the removal of 400 kilograms of 60-percent enriched uranium to the United States, the retention of only one Iranian nuclear facility, the release of less than a quarter of Iran’s frozen assets, and linking a halt to fighting on all fronts to the negotiations.
Post uploaded on Trump’s Truth Social account. Truth Social
Iranian women hold national flags during an anti-U.S. rally in Tehran on the 17th (local time). AFP-Yonhap
Instead, Iran is seeking to use undersea communications cables in the Strait of Hormuz as a new pressure tool, CNN reported. Options under consideration include imposing usage fees on the cables — which connect Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf and carry internet traffic — or damaging them outright. An Iranian attack on the cables could threaten everything from banking systems and military communications to AI cloud infrastructure. CNN reported that Iran would in particular demand legal compliance from U.S. technology giants such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon. Some of these companies are known to have invested in the undersea cable business.
CNN noted, however, that it remains uncertain whether this would give Iran meaningful leverage, as international telecom operators have routed cables to avoid Iranian territorial waters. Some analysts also point out that the actual volume of data transmission through these cables is negligible on a global scale.
Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are stepping up their readiness. The UAE, which had its Barakah nuclear power plant struck by an Iranian drone, has held a series of emergency calls with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt. Saudi Arabia, whose ties with Abu Dhabi had been strained by the UAE’s withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has also voiced support for the UAE. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that two outposts Israel had secretly built in the western Iraqi desert were discovered after a shepherd passing through the area reported them, raising the possibility that the United States deliberately concealed the existence of the bases.
As tensions in the Middle East escalate again, Brent crude surged as high as $112 per barrel during Wednesday trading. It was the first time Brent had risen above $110 in 12 days, since the 6th.