Iran Lists US Companies as ‘Legitimate Targets’, Threatens Retaliation From April 1
IRGC names 18 firms including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Tesla and Boeing, warning of attacks on their regional facilities in response to further killings of Iranian leaders
TEHRAN — April 1, 2026 — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has formally listed 18 American companies as “legitimate targets” for retaliation, warning that their facilities across the Middle East could be struck starting from Wednesday evening in response to any further targeted killings of Iranian leaders.
The IRGC issued the warning on Tuesday, March 31, through Iranian state media, naming major technology, financial and industrial corporations including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Tesla, Boeing, Intel, Cisco, Nvidia, Oracle, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, General Electric, Palantir, Dell Technologies, HP, Spire Solutions and the Emirati firm G42 .
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“These companies, starting from 8:00 pm Tehran time (1630 GMT) on Wednesday, April 1, should expect the destruction of their relevant units in exchange for every assassination in Iran,” the IRGC said in a statement published by Tasnim News Agency .
The Revolutionary Guards alleged that US information and communications technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies are “the main element in designing and tracking assassination targets” and are behind “terrorist operations” that have killed Iranian citizens .
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Employees Advised to Evacuate Immediately
The IRGC issued a stark warning to personnel working for the listed companies across the Middle East, urging them to leave their workplaces immediately.
“We advise the employees of these institutions to immediately leave their workplaces to preserve their lives,” the statement said, adding that civilians residing within a one-kilometre radius of facilities linked to these companies should evacuate to safer locations .
The threat targets the companies’ “relevant units” across the region, including offices, data centres and technology infrastructure in Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as in Israel .
The warning did not specify whether action would be taken against the firms’ operations in the United States or elsewhere outside the Middle East.
Retaliation Tied to Leadership Assassinations
The IRGC framed the threat as a direct response to the killing of Iranian leaders in US-Israeli strikes. The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with senior military commanders and civilians .
Israel subsequently assassinated key Iranian figures, including Ali Larijani, Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council; Ismail Hativ, Minister of Intelligence; and Alireza Tangsiri, Commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s Navy .
The IRGC said the companies had “ignored our repeated warnings about the need to stop terrorist operations” targeting Iranian officials .
Iran Cites Previous Attacks on Data Centres
The IRGC pointed to earlier strikes on technology infrastructure as precedent for the threatened escalation. In early March, Iranian drones attacked several Amazon data centres in the UAE and Bahrain, with the IRGC claiming responsibility and describing them as “enemy technology infrastructure” supporting US and Israeli military capabilities .
One of Amazon’s data centres in the UAE was “directly struck” by drones, while a third facility in Bahrain was damaged by falling debris from a nearby attack .
The IRGC’s latest warning, however, marks a significant escalation in its rhetoric, publicly naming a wide array of American corporate giants and explicitly linking future action against their regional assets to any additional strikes or assassinations involving Iranian officials.
Full List of Companies Named by Iran
According to statements carried by Iranian state media and news agencies including Tasnim, the 18 companies listed as potential targets are:
- Apple Inc.
- Microsoft Corp.
- Google (Alphabet Inc.)
- Meta Platforms Inc.
- Tesla Inc.
- Boeing Co.
- Intel Corp.
- Cisco Systems Inc.
- Nvidia Corp.
- Oracle Corp.
- International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- General Electric Co.
- Palantir Technologies
- Dell Technologies Inc.
- HP Inc.
- Spire Solutions
- G42 (an Emirati AI and cloud computing firm)
Earlier reports also mentioned AT&T, Amazon, and Siemens among cited firms .
Simultaneous Strikes on Israeli Industrial Centres
On the same day as the warning, Iran’s army announced it had launched drone attacks on what it described as “important and strategic” communication, telecommunications and industrial centres affiliated with the Israeli military.
According to an army statement, targets included a Siemens Software Center near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and an AT&T Communications centre in Haifa . The military claimed the Siemens centre was responsible for “optimizing weapon production lines and designing military systems for the Israeli military using advanced technologies such as AI and industrial automation,” while the AT&T facility was described as “a hub supporting advanced networking technology, cloud computing, and AI fields for the Israeli military” .
There was no immediate confirmation from Israeli officials regarding the strikes.
US Response
A White House official told Reuters that the US military is prepared to counter any Iranian action, pointing to a 90 per cent drop in ballistic missile and drone attacks as evidence of its defensive readiness .
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the conflict could intensify if Tehran fails to reach a deal. “We have more and more options, and they have less. In just one month, we have set the terms. The coming days will be decisive,” he said .
Regional and Market Implications
The threat has raised concerns for multinational corporations with business exposure or operational footprints across the Middle East. Analysts note that offices, data centres and technology infrastructure linked to Western firms in Israel and Gulf countries are now being viewed as potential strategic targets in what Iran has described as an “infrastructure war” .
According to industry observers, if the threats are implemented, the impact could extend beyond direct damage to include regional employee evacuations, increased insurance premiums, and heightened risks to cloud services and communications infrastructure that underpin global supply chains .
Current Situation
As of Wednesday, April 1, the deadline set by the IRGC has passed, with no immediate reports of new attacks on the listed companies’ regional facilities. However, the threat remains in effect, tied to any future “targeted assassinations” of Iranian leaders.
Iran’s public naming of major multinational firms marks a significant escalation in its messaging, broadening the scope of the conflict beyond traditional military and energy targets to encompass corporate and commercial infrastructure across the Middle East.
SOURCES / INPUTS
Xinhua: 1st LD Writethru: Iran says U.S. tech firms to be targeted, strikes Israeli communication, industrial centers
Euronews: Iran says it will attack 17 American tech companies in Middle East by April 1
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