TEHRAN / DUBAI — The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a high-priority “final ultimatum” on Friday, March 27, 2026, ordering all employees of American and Israeli-affiliated industrial companies across the Middle East to evacuate their workplaces immediately. The warning, released via the IRGC’s Public Relations Office, signals a massive expansion of Iran’s retaliatory target list to include private-sector heavy industries, steel plants, and energy infrastructure with Western shareholders.
The IRGC statement cited recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian industrial centers as the trigger for the move, declaring: “Leave your workplace immediately so that your lives are not endangered!”
The “One-Kilometer” Exclusion Zone
The IRGC’s directive is not just for employees but for entire local populations in proximity to Western-linked industrial sites.
- Broad Scope: The warning applies to any heavy industry in the region—including those in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait—that has American shareholders or serves as an ally to the “Israeli regime.”
- Civilian Radius: Residents living within a one-kilometer (0.6-mile) radius of these facilities have been instructed to vacate their homes until the “time of the attack” has passed.
- Retaliatory Logic: Quoting the Quranic verse, “Whoever has transgressed against you, then transgress against them in the same way,” the IRGC framed the upcoming strikes as a direct response to the “economic warfare” and industrial sabotage conducted by the coalition.
A New “Target List” Finalized
Informed sources in Tehran report that a finalized list of regional targets has been distributed to IRGC missile and drone units.
- The Steel & Tech Sector: The list reportedly includes major steel industry facilities in the “occupied territories” (Israel) and several neighboring countries.
- Specific Multinational Giants: Previous IRGC graphics have already named companies like ExxonMobil, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services as being at risk due to their support of U.S. military logistics in the theater.
- The “Desalination” Threat: Despite President Trump’s 10-day pause on striking Iranian energy, Iran has maintained its threat to strike critical desalination plants in the Gulf—which provide the vast majority of the region’s drinking water—if the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is not resolved.
“Human Shields” Accusation
The evacuation order follows a blistering statement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who accused U.S. forces of using Gulf citizens as “human shields” by relocating personnel to civilian hotels and urban business districts.
| Entity | Action Taken (March 27, 2026) |
| IRGC | Issued mandatory evacuation for all U.S.-linked industrial employees. |
| Israel (Katz) | Vowed to “intensify and expand” strikes on Iranian military industry sites. |
| UAE | Airspace remains on high alert; authorities have rejected Iranian claims of “hosting invaders.” |
| U.S. (CENTCOM) | Confirmed it can only verify the destruction of one-third of Iran’s missile arsenal. |
What’s Next?
The timing of this warning is critical, occurring just as the U.S. awaits a formal response to its 15-point peace proposal. By threatening regional industries, Tehran is likely trying to increase the “economic pain” on Washington and its partners to force more favorable terms before the April 6 deadline. If the “Islamabad Channel” talks fail tonight, analysts expect the first wave of these “industrial retaliations” to begin before the weekend is over.
