IRGC warns US-linked industries in region to evacuate ahead of imminent attacks

2026-03-16 - 20:02

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday issued a renewed warning to owners of US-linked industries in the region, urging workers and nearby residents to evacuate ahead of possible attacks. In a statement carried by Fars news agency, the IRGC's public relations office warned what it described as the "defeated American regime" to evacuate all American-linked industries in the region. Civilian evacuation order The statement also called on people living near factories in which US entities hold shares to leave the surrounding areas to avoid harm. "These industries will be targeted in the coming hours," the statement said, suggesting an imminent wave of strikes against economic targets associated with the United States. Conflict context Israel launched joint attacks with the US on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and over 150 schoolgirls. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting "US military assets." Expanding target set The warning to US-linked industries represents an expansion of Iran's targeting criteria beyond military assets to include economic infrastructure. The threat to civilian workers and residents near targeted facilities raises concerns about potential casualties if evacuations are not fully implemented. Regional implications The IRGC statement puts regional countries hosting US-linked industries on high alert, as Iran appears prepared to strike economic targets across multiple Gulf states. The warning follows previous evacuation orders for areas in Dubai and Doha earlier this week.