Abu Dhabi On Target Again? Iran Threatens To Strike AI Data Centre, Signals Retaliation Against US Tech Assets In UAE

Iran has publicly threatened to strike a US-linked artificial intelligence data centre in Abu Dhabi after an airstrike in Tehran damaged computing and GPU facilities at Sharif University of Technology, according to reports. Tasnim News Agency — which is widely seen as sympathetic to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — identified the Abu Dhabi facility as the US-operated "Stargate" AI centre and said it "sits inside Iran’s missile range." The reporting, published amid heightened regional tensions, says Iran views the facility as a strategic target and has signalled that US energy and technology infrastructure across the Middle East could be subject to retaliation.

"nothing stays hidden to our sight, though hidden by Google," said a video clip credited to Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari that Tasnim and subsequent social posts circulated, showing satellite imagery zooming on the Stargate location.

Iranian military accounts and social media posts cited in Tasnim framed the threat as a proportional response to the damage inflicted at Sharif University of Technology, where an airstrike reportedly hit a computing and GPU facility that Iran considers a key piece of its AI infrastructure. State television reports, and AFP coverage cited by other outlets, said the strike also damaged gas pressure reduction facilities and metering equipment, producing a gas leak; AFP later reported that the disruption to gas supply in parts of Tehran had been resolved.

• Target named: "Stargate" AI centre in Abu Dhabi, described as US-operated.
• Companies cited: OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle — part of a reported $500 billion collaboration to build massive AI data centres tied to the Stargate project.
• Spokesperson: Ebrahim Zolfaghari — credited with the satellite imagery video used to publicise the threat.
• Location damage: Sharif University of Technology — computing and GPU facility; gas infrastructure briefly affected.

Tasnim's coverage emphasised that the Abu Dhabi site is within Iran's missile range and framed the centre as a "significant international hub" for AI computing infrastructure. Iranian armed forces statements, referenced in the same reporting, warned that US energy and technology assets in the region would be targeted if the United States were to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure — language that broadens potential targets beyond military installations to include commercial and tech assets.

The Abu Dhabi government and the UAE ministry of defence have already been dealing with parallel incidents: AFP reported firefighters in Abu Dhabi fought fires at a petrochemical plant after debris fell during defence interceptions, while the UAE ministry said it was responding to missile and drone attacks. Iranian statements have previously named aluminium industries among targets, underscoring a list of economic and industrial sites Tehran has threatened.

Outlook

The immediate outlook is one of heightened risk to Gulf-based technology infrastructure and foreign investments tied to large-scale AI projects. The Stargate project — described in reporting as a $500 billion collaboration involving OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle — represents both strategic value and a potential flashpoint. If Tehran follows through on public threats or if tit-for-tat strikes continue, regional escalation could imperil multinational data centres and energy facilities, and prompt broader diplomatic and security responses from the United States and Gulf partners.