Iran Threatens $30 Billion 'Stargate' AI Data Center in UAE, Citing Retaliation
April 6, 2026
A critical piece of global artificial intelligence infrastructure has been drawn into the geopolitical tensions of the Middle East. Iran has explicitly threatened to target the $30 billion "Stargate" AI data center project in the United Arab Emirates, a facility backed by leading U.S. tech firms including OpenAI and Nvidia. The threat underscores the growing vulnerability of centralized, high-value digital assets to international conflict, with potential repercussions for the global AI development race.
The threat was issued by Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in a video address reported by The Times of India. Zolfaghari stated that "should the US proceed with its threats concerning Iran's power plant facilities," retaliatory measures would target "all power plants, energy infrastructure, and information and communication technology of the Zionist regime." He warned these targets would face "complete and utter annihilation." The video then cut to a Google Maps image, using night vision mode to pinpoint the desert location of the Stargate UAE facility, which is obscured on standard map views.
The Stargate project, announced last year, is envisioned as a cornerstone for next-generation AI computing. OpenAI has described it as part of "our long-term vision for building frontier-scale compute capacity around the world in service of safe, secure, and broadly beneficial AGI." The planned site is designed for a massive 1 gigawatt of power and compute capacity. Its initial 200-megawatt phase, which was scheduled to become operational this year prior to the outbreak of conflict, is reported to incorporate approximately 10,000 advanced Nvidia chips. The current operational status of the facility remains unclear following the escalation of hostilities.
The direct threat against Stargate marks a significant escalation in the IRGC's campaign against assets linked to the United States and its allies in the region. The data center's high-profile backers—which also include Cisco, Oracle, and SoftBank—and its deep connections to the U.S. government and tech ecosystem have made it a symbolic and strategic target. Its loss or damage would represent a severe blow to global AI infrastructure, potentially delaying research initiatives and disrupting services reliant on its frontier-scale computing power. As the conflict extends into its second month, Stargate and other critical digital infrastructure nodes in the Middle East remain under a tangible and unprecedented threat.
Source: Techradar
