OpenAI is facing a direct threat to its planned Abu Dhabi Stargate data center after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published a video promising attacks on US-linked energy and technology assets, according to a video posted to an Iranian state-backed news outlet’s X account.
The warning arrived amid wider attention on OpenAI’s Stargate programme, a reported $500 billion initiative that includes a $30 billion Abu Dhabi facility backed by Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank, with the site described as containing 16 gigawatts of compute capacity and aiming to deploy 200 megawatts in 2026.
Related reading
- OpenAI closes $122bn funding round at $852bn valuation as IPO pressure builds
- OpenAI strengthens Sora video safety and consent controls
- Anthropic secures multi-gigawatt Google and Broadcom chip deal as annual revenue run rate hits $30bn
The IRGC’s footage says it will carry out the “complete and utter annihilation” of US-linked energy and technology companies in the region and shows imagery that appears to include satellite photos of the Abu Dhabi site and a misidentified photo of executives, which labels Cisco chief product officer Jeetu Patel as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day” if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz, and told ABC News the US planned on “blowing up the entire country” if Iran did not reach a deal, the report said. It is not clear how much of the Abu Dhabi data center is finished; an October 2025 update showed early facilities and said construction was “well underway.” OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
The recap
- IRGC video threatens OpenAI’s Abu Dhabi Stargate data center.
- $30 billion Abu Dhabi facility pictured alongside Oracle and Nvidia.
- Construction aims to deploy 200 megawatts in 2026.
