IRGC threatens OpenAI’s $30B Abu Dhabi data center
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- IRGC published a video on April 3 on an Iranian state‑backed news outlet’s X account threatening OpenAI’s planned Abu Dhabi data center if the United States attacks Iran’s power plants, stating it will carry out “complete and utter annihilation” of U.S.–linked energy and technology companies in the region.
- OpenAI is planning a $30 billion Stargate data center in Abu Dhabi as part of its $500 billion Stargate project, which includes investments from Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank.
- OpenAI's Abu Dhabi facility is slated to contain 16 gigawatts of compute power, with construction “well underway” and a target to deploy 200 megawatts in 2026, according to an October 2025 update.
- IRGC’s video also displayed a photo of the executives backing the project, misidentifying Cisco’s chief product officer Jeetu Patel as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
- OpenAI has not responded to The Verge’s request for comment on the threat.
- President Trump threatened Iran on Truth Social, saying Tuesday will be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day” if the country doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz, and told ABC News the United States plans on “blowing up the entire country” if Iran doesn’t reach a deal.
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded to Trump’s threats, saying it is “determined to defend our national security and sovereignty with all might.”
Why it matters: The warning puts OpenAI’s $30 billion Abu Dhabi Stargate hub—and the broader $500 billion AI compute rollout—at risk of being targeted, jeopardizing the deployment of 16 GW of compute and exposing U.S. tech partners to geopolitical retaliation, and could delay the planned 200 megawatt capacity by 2026, undermining investor confidence in the region.
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