Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has officially declared economic and banking institutions linked to the United States and Israel as potential targets, following ongoing hostilities that have entered their twelfth day. The announcement, made by a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters—an IRGC-affiliated entity recognized by the United Nations—came after Iran reported attacks on its own banking infrastructure, highlighting a new phase in the conflict where economic and technological targets are becoming central to military strategy. The IRGC warned civilians to maintain a one-kilometre distance from banks, emphasizing the perceived immediacy of the threat to financial centres connected to US and Israeli interests.
State-affiliated media in Iran confirmed that explosions have continued in Tehran, with authorities alleging that US and Israeli forces have targeted nearly 10,000 civilian sites and caused over 1,300 civilian fatalities since the onset of hostilities on February 28. Tasnim news agency, linked to the IRGC, released a list of multinational technology companies with operations in Israel and other regional locations, whose cloud-based services and infrastructure have been reportedly used for military applications. Among the companies named were Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle, signaling a broader targeting scope that extends beyond traditional banking into digital and technological infrastructure.
The IRGC’s declaration frames these companies as “new targets” in what it describes as an “infrastructure war,” suggesting a strategic pivot toward hybrid economic and cyber engagements. Analysts note that the announcement underscores how regional conflicts are increasingly incorporating digital assets and corporate infrastructure into operational planning, amplifying risks to financial and technology networks across the Middle East.
The escalation comes in the wake of an Israeli attack on a bank branch in Tehran, which Iran described as “illegitimate and unusual” under the current state of war. State media reported casualties among bank employees during the strike, further inflaming tensions. These events closely follow Israeli operations in Lebanon, including a strike on a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs housing a branch of the Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan, which provides interest-free loans and other community services. Israel has stated that these operations aim to disrupt Hezbollah’s financial network, although civilian casualties and displacement—at least 570 killed and 780,000 displaced—have amplified regional humanitarian concerns.
The IRGC statement emphasized that the Americans should “await our countermeasure and our painful response,” indicating that economic and banking infrastructure will be central to Iran’s strategic response. The warnings extend to both Gulf-based facilities and Israeli cities, signaling the increasing vulnerability of regional financial hubs to military and cyber threats. With multinational technology firms identified as potentially implicated due to their cloud and military-linked services, the lines between commercial operations, national security, and military targeting are becoming increasingly blurred.
Experts in digital infrastructure and finance highlight that these developments have major implications for cybersecurity, cross-border banking operations, and corporate risk management in the Middle East. Firms with a presence in the region are now faced with heightened operational risk, not only from physical threats but also from potential cyber disruptions, which could affect cloud services, data centers, and regional transaction networks. The warnings underscore the necessity for companies to adopt contingency measures, relocate critical systems, and monitor geopolitical risk in real time.
The IRGC’s announcement also illustrates the expanding role of digital and economic assets in modern conflict. By publicly targeting major US and Israeli corporations alongside regional banking infrastructure, Iran is signaling a willingness to incorporate hybrid strategies—merging conventional military action with economic and technological disruption—into its operational framework. As the war continues, analysts expect further declarations that could affect multinational finance, technology deployment, and regional trade networks, highlighting the growing intersection of geopolitical conflict and digital-economic security.
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