Tensions in the Middle East have reached a critical level. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened major American technology and aerospace companies, including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp-parent company Meta, Google and Apple, with an attack and urged the staff to evacuate their office in the region. The Iran’s multi-service primary force has said that these these Silicon Valley companies are now legitimate targets because they are ‘responsible’ for high-tech warfare that has led to the termination of the country’s leadership.In a statement released via Iran’s state-aligned Tasnim news agency (as per Al-Jazeera), the IRGC warned on Tuesday (March 31) that it will begin targeting US tech companies operating in the region starting at 8:00 pm local time tomorrow (April 1). The military wing has urged employees and residents living near these corporate facilities to evacuate immediately.
US tech companies declared ‘Legitimate Targets’
The IRGC’s threat is a significant shift in its strategy as it moves beyond traditional military infrastructure to focus on the technology companies it claims are responsible for enabling high-tech warfare like use of artificial intelligence (AI) for pin-pointing targets.“Since the main element in designing and tracking terrorist targets are American and ICT [Information and Communications Technology] and AI companies… from now on, [these] main institutions will be our legitimate targets,” the statement read, as per Al-Jazeera.According to AFP, the IRGC specifically named more than 18 high-profile companies in its hit list, including Meta (Facebook/Instagram), Google and Apple; Transportation and energy conglomerates Boeing and Tesla; and defense and AI firms involved in AI and satellite tracking. Companies like Intel, Microsoft and Oracle, analytics firm Palantir and chip giant Nvidia also risk retaliation, the statement said.The threat is directly tied to the ongoing attacks led by Israel and supported by US intelligence. Iran stated that these strikes will start if any more Iranian leaders are killed in “targeted assassinations”.The statement added that the US government and tech giants had “ignored our repeated warnings regarding the necessity” of halting operations targeting top Iranian officials.“Companies that actively participate in terrorist designs will face reciprocal action for every targeted assassination,” the statement said. The warning did not specify where the action would take place, but it added:“Residents around these terrorist companies in all countries of the region are also advised to leave their locations within a one-kilometre radius and move to a safe place.”This follows weeks of intense attacks where Israel has used advanced AI platforms to track and kill over 250 senior Iranian officials, including Iran’s supreme leader, according to The Wahsington Post which cited a count maintained by the Israeli military.Amazon AWS operations were hit twice earlier this month due to US-Iran war, with company confirming disruptions in its cloud infrastructure in Bahrain and in the UAE due to drone activity.
