Iran Warns US-Linked Tech Firms and Banks Could Be “Legitimate Targets”

• Iran warns US‑linked tech firms like Google and Microsoft may become “legitimate targets.” 
• Tehran says banks and economic centres tied to the US and Israel could face regional strikes. 
• Russia evacuates staff from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant amid escalating risk.

The conflict between Iran and the US-Israel alliance has escalated into new domains, including cyber and economic warfare. Today, Iran has warned that US-linked technology infrastructure, banks, and economic centres across the Middle East could become “legitimate targets.” 

According to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Tasnim news agency, offices and infrastructure belonging to major American technology companies could be targeted.

The companies named include Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle, which Iran claims have technology linked to Israeli military applications. The reported targets include offices and cloud-service infrastructure located in several Israeli cities, as well as facilities in Gulf countries.

Tasnim said that as the regional war broadens into an “infrastructure war,” the range of Iran’s potential targets will expand beyond traditional military sites.

Threats Against Banks and Economic Centres

In a separate statement, a spokesperson for the IRGC-linked Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters warned that Iran may strike “economic centres and banks” associated with the United States and Israel across the region.

The warning followed what Iranian officials described as an attack on an Iranian bank. The spokesperson said the attack had effectively “left Iran’s hands open” to retaliate against financial institutions tied to Washington and Israel.

The statement also urged civilians to stay away from banks, warning people not to remain within a one-kilometre radius of such facilities.

US technology companies play a major role in operating cloud computing systems, financial networks, healthcare platforms, logistics coordination, and artificial intelligence services throughout the Middle East. 

Data centres and cloud hubs in Gulf countries support government systems, corporate networks, and services used by hundreds of millions of people. Any disruption could have widespread economic consequences across the region.

Civilian Damage in Iran

Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations say the conflict has already caused extensive damage inside Iran.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that nearly 20,000 civilian buildings have been damaged since the start of the war. Preliminary assessments indicate that 19,734 structures were affected, including hospitals, schools, and aid facilities.

Among them were 77 medical centres, 65 educational institutions, and 16 facilities operated by the Red Crescent itself.

Iran’s army also announced it had targeted several Israeli military sites, including facilities belonging to the Israel Defense Forces intelligence apparatus, a naval base in Haifa, and an Israeli radar system.

Nuclear Safety Concerns

Growing fears about the safety of nuclear facilities have also emerged. Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, confirmed that it has begun evacuating some personnel from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran’s only operational nuclear power station.

Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev said around 150 workers left the site overnight, crossing into Armenia before travelling back to Russia. About 450 staff members remain at the plant. Construction of two additional reactors at the Bushehr site has been paused since the conflict intensified.

The latest threats suggest the war may increasingly target financial systems that underpin daily life across the Middle East.

Related: Trump Says Iran War ‘Pretty Much Complete’ as Oil Crashes, Markets Rally