Iran threatens ‘Stargate’ AI data centers
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THIS WEEK ONLY: Save close to $500 on your Disrupt pass. Offer ends April 10, 11:59 p.m. PT. Register here. Save up to $680 on your Disrupt 2026 pass. Ends 11:59 p.m. PT tonight. REGISTER NOW . Posted: Rebecca Szkutak Iran threatens ‘Stargate’ AI data centers Iran has warned of further attacks on data centers across the Middle East in response to ongoing threats and air strikes from the United States. Iran’s military said that if the U.S. went ahead with its threats to hit its civilian infrastructure, the country would retaliate with its own strikes against the U.S.’ energy and tech infrastructure in the region, according to a video released late last week and shared widely on Sunday of Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari. The video released by Iran shows an image of a globe, then zooming in on the Stargate data center in the United Arab Emirates with the message of “nothing stays hidden to our sight, though hidden by Google.” Stargate is a $500 billion joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle to build AI data centers, announced in January 2025. The initiative originally struggled to get off the ground due to alleged funding troubles and costs associated with tariffs , and sought to expand with new data centers internationally. The latest threat comes after U.S. President Trump threatened to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure, like power plants and water desalination plants, by the end of Tuesday if Iran doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping channel that has choked global supply-chain traffic since the start of the war in February. Several data centers in the region have already been hit by missiles as a result of the war. Iranian missiles struck Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in Bahrain and an Oracle data center in Dubai . Iran also threatened tech companies including Nvidia and Apple by name last week. Topics StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . Related Government & Policy OpenAI’s vision for the AI economy: public wealth funds, robot taxes, and a four-day workweek Rebecca Bellan 14 hours ago Rebecca Bellan Latest in AI AI AI startup Rocket offers vibe McKinsey-style reports at a fraction of the cost Jagmeet Singh 23 minutes ago Jagmeet Singh Venture OpenAI alums have been quietly investing from a new, potentially $100M fund Julie Bort 8 hours ago Julie Bort Apps Google quietly launched an AI dictation app that works offline Ivan Mehta 11 hours ago Ivan Mehta