IRGC threatens to ‘annihilate’ regional offices of 18 US tech giants over alleged espionage

TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has issued a chilling ultimatum to 18 major American corporations, warning that their regional infrastructure will be targeted following allegations of their involvement in hostile operations.

According to a report by Iranian state media Press TV, the elite military force claimed these businesses have actively “assisted US-Israeli terror operations inside Iran by providing espionage services”.

The IRGC issued a formal statement on Tuesday, declaring that these firms should prepare for retaliatory strikes. The military body specified that the planned “reprisal attacks starting at 20:00 Iran time on April 1” would be devastating. It warned that the companies’ regional “offices in the region will be ‘annihilated.'”

The extensive blacklist features some of the world’s most prominent technology and industrial leaders. Among the “big tech” firms named are Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. The IRGC also identified critical hardware and infrastructure providers, including HP, Intel, IBM, and Cisco, alongside other global giants such as Tesla, Nvidia, Oracle, JP Morgan, and Boeing.

Explainer: Which US tech and arms companies did IRGC declare ‘legitimate targets’https://t.co/Zuyk6yQR3G

— Press TV (@PressTV) April 1, 2026

Iranian state media Press TV noted that the IRGC has categorised these organisations as “espionage entities associated with the warmongering government of the United States.” The Guards alleged that the firms’ “artificial intelligence (AI) and internet communication technology (ICT) services have been the main elements in designing terror operations and tracing assassination targets by the US and Israel inside Iran.”

The escalatory rhetoric follows claims from Tehran that its previous diplomatic warnings have been ignored. The IRGC asserted that Washington and its allies in Tel Aviv continued to conduct “terror operations” regardless of Iranian protests.

This includes a reported targeted strike earlier this Tuesday, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of several Iranian nationals. In its Tuesday broadcast, Press TV relayed the IRGC’s declaration that it has shifted its military doctrine. “In response to this terrorist operation, henceforth, the main institutions involved in terrorist activities will be considered legitimate targets,” the statement read.

The military force has issued an urgent warning for personnel to vacate any potential target sites. “We advise employees of these institutions to immediately leave their workplaces to protect their lives. Residents within a one-kilometre radius of these terrorist companies across all countries in the region are also urged to evacuate and move to safe locations,” the IRGC cautioned.

The threat comes amidst a period of intense regional instability. Press TV reports that since late February, dozens of high-ranking Iranian political and military figures, as well as their kin, have been killed in what Tehran describes as a sustained campaign of “US-Israeli aggression.”

Iran has repeatedly “vowed to avenge the assassinations by targeting elements that have been influential in the attacks,” marking a significant broadening of its retaliatory scope to include private-sector entities. (ANI)