Iran issued a fresh warning for Gulf countries on Wednesday as merchant ships and oil tankers burned in the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to attack “economic centres and banks” linked to the United States and Israel — retaliation for an ‘attack against an Iranian bank’. The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters has also warned civilians against being “within a one-kilometre radius of banks”.
“The enemy is forcing our hand to to targeting economic centres and banks belonging to the United States and the Zionist regime in the region…people of the region should not be within a one-kilometre radius of banks. The Americans should await our countermeasure and our painful response,” Al Jazeera quoted a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters as saying.
According to the semi-official Mehr news agency, an administrative building linked to Bank Sepah — one of the largest public banks in Iran — was hit overnight. It has historical ties with the military and is often referred to as the “bank of the armed forces”. It reportedly handles payroll for both the IRGC and the regular army. Bank Sepah has faced UN and US sanctions for nearly 20 years because of its role in supporting nuclear and missile-related activities.
Warning for civilians ‘within 1 km of banks’
The threat issued by Khatam al-Anbiya did not contain any details — with staggering implications if the one-kilometre warning is interpreted literally. Many of the banking hubs in the Gulf countries are located amidst shopping malls, luxury hotels, high-rise offices and thousands of homes. Many of these banks also operate dozens of branches and ‘smart centres’ in high-traffic areas.
The Standard Chartered Tower, for example, includes the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and the Opera District within this small radius. The 110-hectare Dubai International Financial Centre alone hosts over 290 banks — with the 1 km radius encompassing almost the entire district, several luxury hotels, and thousands of private residences.
Banks close across the Middle East
Iran has said it will respond by attacking banks that do business with the United States or Israel. It warned people across the Gulf countries to maintain their distance from such establishments. According to reports, multiple banks including Citigroup, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase have closed their branches in the region and asked workers to operate from home.
Sources told Reuters that both Citigroup and Standard Chartered have begun evacuating their Dubai offices. An internal memo asked employees to work from home until further notice. A customer notice indicated that HSBC has also closed all branches in Qatar until further notice — saying the measure was to ensure the safety of staff and customers.
A Bloomberg report added that Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and other Wall Street banks are also allowing staff in the United Arab Emirates to relocate temporarily. Consulting giant McKinsey and Co reportedly charted a flight to Turkey amid efforts to evacuate stranded consultants