IRGC threatens to target US tech and finance firms in the Middle East

In short: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it plans to target more than 18 American tech and finance companies operating in the Middle East.

What happened

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also known as the IRGC, issued a public threat on Tuesday, March 31. It said several US companies with offices or facilities in the Middle East are now “legitimate targets.” The statement was published by Tasnim, a semi-official news agency linked to the IRGC.

The IRGC said attacks would begin on Wednesday, April 1, at 8 p.m. Tehran time, which is 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time in the US. It also told employees at the named companies to leave their workplaces right away. It warned nearby residents in Middle Eastern countries to stay at least one kilometer away from those sites.

The IRGC listed companies across tech, aerospace, and finance. The list included Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, Nvidia, Palantir, HP, Dell, Boeing, Tesla, GE, J.P. Morgan Chase, Amazon Web Services, and Spire Solution.

The group said these firms help enable “high-tech warfare” against Iran. It pointed to “ICT and AI companies,” meaning companies that provide communications tools and artificial intelligence (computer systems that can spot patterns and make guesses, like a very fast assistant). The threat was framed as retaliation for alleged US and Israeli actions against Iranian leaders.

Why it matters

For many people, the most immediate risk is disruption. If offices, data centers, or other facilities are attacked, services people rely on, like cloud computing (renting computing power like you rent electricity) and online platforms, can be affected in the region. Wired also noted a recent example, Iranian drone strikes on March 3 that reportedly disrupted power to Amazon Web Services facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Source: Wired