I don’t get it either. I think that’s exactly what will happen in the end and that this is a story about nothing that the media has latched onto (I’ve seen this reported elsewhere). I guess they’ve got to try and find as much content as you can to try and detract from reporting on the genocide in Gaza.
It’s an interesting take on it for sure, but I think .io will remain. While geopolitics can be a huge factor, there’s too many top level domains tied up in it. In the end, money talks and bullshit walks.