Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued threats targeting major U.S. technology companies operating in the Middle East, escalating geopolitical risks for global AI infrastructure. The group warned that firms including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Google could be considered “legitimate targets” following recent military actions involving the United States and Israel.
The warning extends to a broader list of companies across the technology and industrial sectors, including Intel, Oracle, IBM, Dell Technologies, and Palantir Technologies. The statement urged employees to leave workplaces in affected regions, signaling potential near-term risks to personnel and operations.
The threat follows reported cyber and physical disruptions, including recent strikes on cloud infrastructure in the region that led to service outages. The Middle East has become a strategic hub for AI and data center expansion, driven by access to energy resources and favorable development conditions.
Technology companies have been investing heavily in the region to support growing demand for AI compute and cloud services. However, rising geopolitical tensions are introducing new operational risks, particularly for critical infrastructure such as data centers and network systems.
