Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issues warning to US companies in Middle East, lists targets

ISTANBUL

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the US on Saturday to evacuate all American industries in the Middle East and urged residents near the facilities to leave to avoid harm, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.

The agency released a list of American industrial, energy, and financial companies in the region, saying they “will be considered legitimate targets by Iran’s armed forces.”

Among the companies highlighted were Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Microsoft, Oracle, ExxonMobil, Citigroup, Amazon Web Services, the NSO Group, KKR, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company and Trafigura. Locations included offices and facilities in Amman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

On March 2, Amazon said two of its data center facilities in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain sustained physical impacts from drone strikes.

Regional tensions have surged since the US and Israel launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28. The strikes have killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.