Iran Threatens to Target U.S. Tech Firms if War Continues to Escalate

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Tuesday that it will target 18 American technology companies—including Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft—beginning Wednesday at 8 p.m. Tehran time in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli killings of Iranian leaders since Feb. 28. The IRGC claims these firms enabled assassinations by providing tracking technology and artificial intelligence to Israel, and has ordered employees to evacuate immediately and residents within one kilometer of facilities to leave. The threat marks an escalation in a conflict that has already claimed nearly 2,000 Iranian lives and expanded beyond military targets to civilian infrastructure, with both sides attacking economic and commercial sites. Simultaneously, President Trump signaled the war could end within two to three weeks amid negotiations, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. would continue "negotiating with bombs" while pursuing a deal.