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The Iranian government has now threatened to target economic centers, banks, and technology infrastructure linked to the United States and Israel across the Middle East.

Getting into it: The announcement was made by Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s joint military command responsible for coordinating wartime operations. Iranian officials said the attack targeted the main data center of Bank Sepah in Tehran, Iran’s largest bank and the institution responsible for paying the salaries of all Iranian armed forces. A spokesperson for the command warned that Tehran now has “free rein” to strike financial institutions connected to the US and Israel. The spokesperson said the strike had “forced our hand to target economic centers and banks linked to the US and Zionist regime in the region,” and warned civilians across the Middle East not to go near such institutions, saying people “should not be within a one kilometre radius of banks.”

Iranian state-linked media amplified the threat by identifying specific sectors and companies that could become targets as the conflict expands into economic and technological infrastructure. Reports from Iranian outlets listed several major US technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, Oracle, and Amazon, accusing them of providing technology that supports Israeli military operations. Iranian media said infrastructure connected to these firms, including regional offices, cloud platforms, and data center operations, could be targeted across Israel and throughout the Gulf, where many of the companies operate facilities in hubs such as the United Arab Emirates and other regional tech centers.

Iranian officials and media also framed the threats as part of a broader expansion of the war into what they described as “infrastructure war,” meaning economic systems and digital networks could be treated similarly to traditional military targets. In addition to banks and technology companies, Iranian state television and military officials have warned that other economic infrastructure across the region, including ports, oil shipments, and vessels tied to the United States or Israel, could also be considered “legitimate targets” if Iran’s own economic infrastructure continues to be attacked.

The warnings have already triggered precautionary responses from companies operating in the region. Some companies with offices across Gulf countries reportedly have asked employees to work remotely, limit travel, or activate contingency plans as tensions have escalated.

This all comes as financial markets reacted to the escalating rhetoric, with shares of major US banks slipping after Iran threatened to strike financial institutions tied to the United States and Israel.