India, March 31 -- Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued a stark warning, claiming it will target 18 major American technology and industrial companies, including Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Tesla and Boeing, starting April 1.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Guards accused the firms of being complicit in the "targeted assassination" of Iranian officials.

The statement also urged employees at these companies to immediately evacuate their workplaces, adding that civilians living within a one-kilometre radius of related facilities should leave the area for safety.

Other firms named include Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Nvidia, Cisco, Oracle, HP and JPMorgan Chase, among others.

The threat comes amid escalating tensions b...