TEHRAN, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday warned that companies it accused of involvement in "terrorist espionage" could be targeted, naming several major U.S. technology firms and urging employees and nearby residents to leave the areas.
In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said institutions it claims contribute to intelligence operations, communications technology, and artificial intelligence used in attacks on Iran would be considered "legitimate targets."
The IRGC listed 18 companies, namely Cisco, HP, Intel, Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, DEL, Palantir, Nvidia, JP. Morgan, Tesla, GE, Spire Solution, G42 and Boeing, saying as of 20:00 local time (1630 GMT) Wednesday, they must await Iran's devastating attacks.
It warned employees of these companies to immediately leave their workplaces and urged civilians within a 1 km radius of the firms across the Middle East to move to safety.
Meanwhile, Iran's army said its forces have launched drone attacks on "important and strategic" communication, telecommunication, and industrial centers affiliated with the Israeli army since earlier in the day.
In a statement published on its website, it listed such centers as the Siemens Software Center near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Telecom and AT&T Communications in Haifa, saying they have been targeted with kamikaze drones.
The army said the attacks are in response to strikes carried out by Israel and the United States on Iran's infrastructure.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East. ■
