Escalating Conflict: Iran Threatens to Attack Google, Microsoft, Nvidia and Others
Escalation of conflict in the Middle East is intensifying. Iran has now warned that major American technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Oracle could become targets of attack.
According to INC, the threat was issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s elite military force, which warned that they could attack “economic centres and banks” in the Middle East region that have links with the United States and Israel.
The threat emerged following reports that a building affiliated with Bank Sepah was struck in Tehran, according to Reuters.
On the twelfth day of this conflict, Iran stated that US and Israeli strikes have bombarded nearly 10,000 civilian locations and killed more than 1,300 civilians, according to Al Jazeera.
Iran’s Warning
The spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, which according to the UN is controlled by the IRGC, stated that enemy actions had given Iran reason to target economic centres.
“The enemy has paved the way for us to target economic centres and banks owned by the United States and the Zionist regime in the region,” the spokesperson said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Iran’s central military operational command also issued a warning that civilians in the region should not remain within a one-kilometre radius of banks.
Meanwhile, the Tasnim News Agency, a media outlet with links to the IRGC, released a list of major American company offices described as “new targets for Iran.”
Al Jazeera also reported that these companies have connections with Israel and produce technology used by the military. Companies mentioned include Google, Microsoft, Palantir Technologies, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle. These companies have offices in several Israeli cities and several Gulf states.
An NDTV report stated that the message also indicated that the expansion of this regional war into a war against infrastructure means Iran’s scope of targets will broaden.
Background
The threats also emerged after Iran accused Israel and the United States of attacking a building linked to Bank Sepah in Tehran. Israel was also reported to have attacked a financial institution affiliated with Hezbollah in Beirut on 9 March.
“Through these unlawful and unusual actions, the enemy has forced us to target economic centres and banks related to the United States and the Zionist regime in the region,” said a spokesperson for Iran’s military command to Reuters.
Reuters also reported that global financial institutions such as Citigroup and Standard Chartered have begun evacuating staff from their offices in Dubai. Meanwhile, HSBC was reported to have closed its branch in Qatar indefinitely to ensure the safety of employees and customers.