[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) designated U.S. technology and finance companies, including Apple, as "terror companies" and warned it would attack them in the Middle East.

An IT outlet, 9to5Mac, reported on March 31 that the IRGC, in a warning posted on Telegram, foreshadowed attacks on facilities in the Middle East operated by global big tech firms it said cooperate with U.S. and Israeli military operations.

The list released by the IRGC included a total of 18 U.S.-based companies. They include Apple, Boeing, Cisco, Google, IBM, JPMorgan, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. The IRGC also cited that the companies "operate in the region," suggesting the warning targets their Middle East sites and personnel.

The warning was stark. In a statement, the IRGC urged "employees of these institutions to leave their workplaces immediately to save their lives." It also said "all civilians living within 1 km of the facilities must evacuate to a safe place."

The report said the warning was not simply a sudden, one-off claim. A report citing CBS News said the IRGC issued a similar warning earlier this month, after a drone attack damaged Amazon's local infrastructure. It said that precedent, in which physical damage occurred locally, could further highlight the realism of the latest threat.

Companies' official responses have been limited. The outlet said it asked Apple for comment and would provide a follow-up update if it receives a reply. For now, local media have not provided additional details on how the IRGC's threats would be carried out, or which facilities and networks any attack would target.

Still, the issue is expected to have repercussions as geopolitical risks again come to the fore for global IT and finance companies operating in the Middle East or with supply chains, data centres and local partner networks there. With companies across core sectors such as semiconductors, cloud, platforms and finance included on the list, safety measures for local staff, stronger facility security and a review of operating plans are emerging as key points to watch.