Banks across Middle East threatened with Iranian attacks

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened to attack “economic centres and banks” belonging to the US and Israel, after one of the country’s biggest financial institutions was hit in Tehran. This threat caused US bank stocks to slide yesterday. A news agency affiliated with the IRGC has released a list of offices owned by Google, Amazon and Microsoft across the Middle East, describing them as “legitimate targets”. Iranian strikes have so far focused on military sites, energy infrastructure and shipping, but several banks evacuated offices in Dubai on Wednesday while HSBC closed all of its branches in Qatar. It is not clear if the IRGC intends to follow through on its threat, but fears alone could cause substantial damage.