Geopolitical tensions continue to rise as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatens to strike several US tech companies operating in the Middle East, including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft and Google.
The warning was issued on Tuesday, with 18 tech companies listed as ‘legitimate targets’ in response to US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
The threat also stated that any military action against Iran would be met with destruction on American companies, thus increasing the risk of corporate security in the region.
The attacks are reportedly scheduled to begin on April 1 at 8pm Tehran time, with specific warnings to employees to leave their workplaces to avoid security risks. In addition to major tech companies, the list of targets also includes Intel, Oracle, IBM, Dell, Palantir Technologies, Tesla and Boeing.
The situation reflects the changing landscape of modern conflict, where technology assets are now seen as strategic targets and no longer just a side effect of war. Threats to data centers, cloud platforms and digital infrastructure are expected to increase, especially as global tech companies expand their operations in the Middle East.
Iran has previously been reported to have attacked Amazon Web Services data centers in the region, disrupting several digital services in the United Arab Emirates. The incident has heightened concerns about the security of technology infrastructure in conflict zones.
At the same time, American technology companies' large investments in artificial intelligence development in the Middle East are now facing new risks, as the region offers low energy costs and access to vast land.
The conflict that erupted since February 28 has seen more than 3,000 drones and missiles launched at several Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. This situation continues to increase geopolitical risks and weigh on global market sentiment.
US President Donald Trump previously hinted that US troops may withdraw within two to three weeks, but military and diplomatic policy uncertainties continue to keep markets cautious.
Overall, these developments show that the conflict is not only affecting the energy sector, but is now starting to spread to the global technology sector, making market risks increasingly complex and difficult to predict in the short term.
