Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — April 3, 2026 : Iran has issued a warning that it may target the Stargate artificial intelligence (AI) data center project under development in Abu Dhabi, marking a further escalation in tensions involving critical digital infrastructure across the Gulf region.
The warning, delivered by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), follows a series of reported drone and missile strikes over the past 48 hours on commercial data centers linked to major U.S. technology firms in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The developments indicate a shift in targeting priorities, with cloud computing and AI infrastructure increasingly viewed as strategic assets in regional conflicts.
Iranian Warning and Strategic Messaging
In a recently released video, an IRGC spokesman stated that Iran would retaliate against energy and technology infrastructure hosting U.S. interests if Washington proceeds with threats to strike Iranian power facilities. The broadcast included satellite imagery focusing on the desert site of the Stargate project in Abu Dhabi, accompanied by messaging asserting visibility over the facility despite efforts to conceal it.
The video also displayed images of chief executives from companies involved in the project, reinforcing the linkage drawn by Iranian officials between private-sector technology firms and U.S. strategic capabilities.
Iranian military channels had earlier circulated a list of 18 U.S. technology and financial companies—among them Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and OpenAI—designating them as potential targets. The IRGC advised employees of these firms to evacuate facilities in the region and urged civilians residing within a one-kilometer radius of such sites to relocate.
Stargate UAE Project Overview
The Stargate AI data center in Abu Dhabi is a major international component of a broader global AI infrastructure initiative. The project involves an estimated investment of more than $30 billion and is designed to form part of a larger AI campus with a planned capacity of up to 5 gigawatts.
The UAE-specific deployment, referred to as Stargate UAE, is structured as a 1-gigawatt compute cluster within a 5-gigawatt campus spanning approximately 19.2 square kilometers. Initial phases are expected to bring 200 megawatts of capacity online in 2026, with gradual expansion toward full operational scale.
The facility is being developed by G42 and will be operated by OpenAI and Oracle. Key partners include Nvidia, which is supplying Grace Blackwell GB300 systems, and Cisco, responsible for networking and security infrastructure. Japan’s SoftBank Group and additional South Korean entities are also involved in the project.
Stargate UAE represents the first international deployment of the broader Stargate Project, a global initiative announced in January 2025 with projected investments of up to $500 billion over four years. The Abu Dhabi campus is designed to deliver AI compute capacity across an estimated 2,000-mile radius, potentially serving a large portion of the global population.
The project forms part of the UAE’s strategy to build sovereign AI capabilities and strengthen its role in global digital infrastructure. It was formally announced in May 2025 following diplomatic engagements that included adjustments to U.S. export policies on advanced technologies. The initiative also received public backing during a regional visit by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Reported Strikes on Gulf Data Centers
The Iranian warning follows reported kinetic actions against operational data centers in the region.
In Bahrain, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) facility located in Hamala sustained physical damage from a reported drone or missile strike. The incident reportedly caused disruptions to cloud-based services affecting banking systems, enterprise software, and other digital operations.
In Dubai, Iranian state media claimed that an Oracle data center had been successfully targeted. However, authorities in Dubai have denied these reports, describing them as unsubstantiated. No independent verification of damage in Dubai has been released.
Earlier in March 2026, Iranian drone strikes targeting AWS facilities in both the UAE and Bahrain had already caused service interruptions across multiple sectors, underscoring the operational impact of such attacks on regional digital infrastructure.
Amazon has acknowledged prior disruptions to its cloud services in the region linked to ongoing conflict conditions.
Expanding Scope of Targeting
Iran has publicly justified its actions by stating that major technology companies provide critical cloud, data, and AI infrastructure supporting U.S. and Israeli military and intelligence operations. This framing has been used to classify commercial data centers as legitimate targets.
Defense analysts assess that the targeting of such facilities reflects an effort to impose economic and technological costs on U.S.-aligned states, particularly Gulf countries hosting large-scale digital infrastructure. The physical characteristics of hyperscale data centers—large, fixed installations with limited dedicated air defense—are viewed as increasing their vulnerability.
The designation of commercial infrastructure as a target category represents a notable development in the conduct of regional conflict, with potential implications for the security of global digital networks.
Current Status and Outlook
As of April 3, 2026, UAE authorities have not issued a direct public response to the specific threat against the Stargate AI project. The facility remains under development and is not yet operating at full capacity.
No independent confirmation has been released regarding the full extent of damage from the most recent reported strikes in Bahrain or the claimed incident in Dubai beyond statements from involved parties and local authorities.
The Stargate UAE project continues to be part of a wider network of planned AI infrastructure sites across multiple countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway, incorporating advanced cooling technologies and renewable energy integration where feasible.
The situation remains under close observation by regional governments and industry stakeholders as tensions continue to affect both physical and digital infrastructure across the Gulf.
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