Iran Threatens Attacks on U.S.-Linked AI Data Centers

Iran warns of retaliation against Stargate and other tech infrastructure if U.S. strikes its civilian facilities

Apr. 6, 2026 at 6:06pm by Ben Kaplan

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A dynamic, abstract painting featuring overlapping, fractured geometric shapes in shades of blue, purple, and orange, conceptually representing a futuristic data center tower under threat.As the U.S.-Iran conflict escalates, the region's critical technology infrastructure faces growing threats of retaliation and attack.San Francisco Today

Iran has threatened to target U.S.-linked data centers and tech infrastructure across the Middle East in response to ongoing threats and airstrikes from the United States. The Iranian military released a video warning that if the U.S. attacks Iran's civilian infrastructure, Iran will retaliate against data centers like the $500 billion Stargate AI project in the UAE as well as facilities operated by companies like Amazon, Oracle, Nvidia, and Apple.

Why it matters

The escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran is putting critical technology infrastructure in the region at risk, as both sides threaten to strike each other's civilian and economic targets. This could disrupt global supply chains and access to key digital services, with potential ripple effects around the world.

The details

In the video released by Iran, a military spokesperson named Ebrahim Zolfaghari threatened to attack the Stargate data center in the UAE, a joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle to build AI infrastructure. Iran also claimed responsibility for previous missile strikes that hit Amazon and Oracle data centers in Bahrain and Dubai. The latest threats come after U.S. President Trump threatened to target Iran's power plants and water desalination facilities if Iran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping channel.

  • In late March 2026, Iran released a video threatening attacks on U.S.-linked data centers.
  • Earlier in March 2026, Iran claimed responsibility for missile strikes that hit Amazon and Oracle data centers in the region.

The players

Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran, which is engaged in an escalating conflict with the United States.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari

An Iranian military spokesperson who appeared in the video threatening attacks on U.S. tech infrastructure.

Stargate

A $500 billion joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle to build AI data centers, which Iran has threatened to target.

Donald Trump

The President of the United States, who has threatened to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure if Iran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

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What they’re saying

“Nothing stays hidden to our sight, though hidden by Google.”

— Ebrahim Zolfaghari, Iranian Military Spokesperson

What’s next

The U.S. and Iran are expected to continue their tit-for-tat threats and attacks, raising the risk of further escalation and damage to critical infrastructure in the region.

The takeaway

The conflict between the U.S. and Iran is putting global technology infrastructure at risk, as both sides threaten to strike each other's civilian and economic targets. This could have far-reaching consequences for supply chains, digital services, and the global economy.