Iran threatens OpenAI’s Stargate data center in Abu Dhabi
Why it matters: A $30 billion OpenAI data center in Abu Dhabi is now a potential target in escalating US-Iran geopolitical tensions.
- Iran's IRGC published a video threatening OpenAI's Stargate facility, specifically mentioning its $30 billion in-progress Abu Dhabi data center, if the US attacks Iranian power plants.
- The IRGC video, shared on an Iranian state-backed news outlet's X account, displayed satellite imagery of the UAE data center and misidentified Cisco's Jeetu Patel as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
- OpenAI's Stargate project is a $500 billion initiative with investments from Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank, aiming for 16 gigawatts of compute power, with construction "well underway" for a 2026 deployment of 200 megawatts.
- Donald Trump recently threatened Iran on Truth Social and ABC News, stating Tuesday would be "Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day" and that the US plans on "blowing up the entire country" if Iran doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz or reach a deal.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry responded to Trump's threats, asserting its determination to defend its national security and sovereignty.
- OpenAI has not yet responded to The Verge's request for comment regarding the threats.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a direct threat to OpenAI's massive Stargate data center in Abu Dhabi, vowing "complete and utter annihilation" of US-linked tech infrastructure if the US, specifically referencing recent threats from Donald Trump, attacks Iranian power plants. This escalation links a critical piece of future AI infrastructure, backed by major tech players like Oracle and Nvidia, to geopolitical tensions, as reported by Tom's Hardware and The Verge AI.
