Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim authority over Strait of Hormuz cables, launch strikes in Kurdistan

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Monday that optical cables in the Strait of Hormuz may require approval from Iranian authorities. The IRGC also reported conducting attacks against groups allegedly linked to the United States and Israel in Iran's western Kurdistan region, near the border with Iraq. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway through which about one-fifth of global oil supplies pass, making it a strategic chokepoint for international energy markets. The IRGC's claims over cable infrastructure in the strait could affect international telecommunications and internet connectivity in the region, while the strikes in Kurdistan reflect ongoing tensions between Iran and what it considers Western-backed opposition groups.