Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared that economic centres and banking infrastructure associated with United States and Israeli interests in the region are now potential targets in the ongoing conflict, officials and state media reported. A spokesperson for Khatam al‑Anbiya Headquarters indicated that the move comes in response to what Iran described as an attack on an Iranian banking establishment, with the conflict now entering its twelfth day. The announcement underscores the heightened tensions and expanding scope of hostilities as both sides trade accusations and engage in countermeasures impacting civilian and strategic assets across multiple countries.
According to the spokesperson, the circumstances have left Tehran with little choice but to broaden its definition of legitimate targets. In a statement carried by state media, he said that adversaries have left Iranian forces with open latitude to target economic centres and banks tied to the United States and Israeli interests within the region. He warned civilians to avoid areas within a one‑kilometre radius of banks, stressing that American interests should anticipate countermeasures and responses considered painful. The warning comes amid reports of explosions in the Iranian capital and assertions by Iranian authorities that US and Israeli forces have conducted strikes across nearly 10,000 civilian locations inside Iran, resulting in significant loss of life since the conflict began on February 28.
In a related development, Iran’s state affiliated Tasnim news agency published a list of offices and infrastructure operated by major US corporations with links to Israeli technology that has reportedly been used for military applications. According to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran, the listed entities include Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia and Oracle. The publication identified these firms’ cloud computing and technology service operations in several Israeli cities as well as locations in some Gulf states. Describing these facilities as new targets, the agency asserted that as the regional war expands to include infrastructure, Iran’s legitimate target set expands accordingly. The move reflects a strategic shift in rhetoric, potentially broadening the implications of the conflict beyond traditional military or political installations to include economic and technological assets.
Iran’s state broadcaster also reported on an overnight strike that it attributed to Israeli forces against a banking branch in Tehran, describing the action as illegitimate and unusual within the context of war. Several employees were reportedly killed in that incident, though verification of the circumstances remains limited. This announcement followed earlier hostilities in which Israel struck a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut that was identified as a branch of Al‑Qard Al‑Hassan financial institution, which offers interest‑free loans and forms part of a network of social services organisations operating in the area. Israel has maintained that its operations aim to degrade capabilities it alleges belong to militant elements, and has reported casualties and displacement numbers in southern Lebanon as a result of its military actions.
The escalation between Tehran and forces aligned with the United States and Israel represents a significant intensification of regional tensions, with far‑reaching implications for economic, technological and civilian infrastructure across the Middle East. With both sides advancing their strategic messages and defensive postures, the conflict continues to evolve, drawing attention from global observers to the potential consequences of widening hostilities.
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