Iran Names 18 U.S. Companies as Targets — NVIDIA, Apple, and Microsoft Included | WPN World People News

On the 31st, Iran warned that if further terrorist assassinations targeting Iran occur in the future, it will launch retaliatory strikes against 18 U.S. companies in the Middle East, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, NVIDIA, and Tesla.

The 18 companies named are accused of having their AI and cloud technologies used to track targets and of being involved in U.S. and Israeli assassination and terrorist activities against Iranian leaders. These retaliatory measures took effect at 8:00 PM Iran time on April 1 (approximately 1:00 AM Taiwan time on April 2). For each action taken against Iran, related technology facilities in the Middle East may face potential attacks.

In the Middle East, many tech giants have factories or offices. Thirteen percent of NVIDIA’s global workforce resides in Israel, where it also hosts its second-largest R&D center outside the United States. Intel employs nearly 10,000 people in Israel as well. The U.S.-Iran conflict is now impacting the technology sector: Amazon AWS data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have been targeted by drone attacks, and mounting pressure on global helium supplies could have devastating consequences for chip production.

Analysts note that Iran’s targeting of the information and communications technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence industries represents a new strategy to expand the economic battlefield. This move tests the United States’ ability to support its Middle Eastern allies’ defense and examines whether geopolitical risks will further drive up global energy and technology prices. The conflict among Israel, the United States, and Iran is expanding from the traditional military domain into the technological and economic spheres.

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to countries such as the United Kingdom that refuse to participate in actions against Iran, stating that the U.S. will no longer provide assistance and that these countries should secure oil themselves from the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also stated that the coming days will be decisive for the war and urged countries to take responsibility in the Strait of Hormuz.