Attacks on US bank branches in ME were retaliatory: Iran

Iran has said that recent attacks targeting branches of American banks across the Middle East were carried out in retaliation for strikes on Iranian financial institutions.

The remarks were made on Saturday by Sardar Naini, spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in comments reported by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

According to Naini, the attacks were launched in response to what he described as actions by the United States against two Iranian banks.

“The attacks on American bank branches were carried out as retaliation for the enemy’s actions against our banks,” he said.

He also warned that if similar actions were repeated by the opposing side, all American bank branches in the region could become legitimate targets.

Following two consecutive incidents in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) area, major financial institutions including Citigroup and Standard Chartered reportedly evacuated employees from their Dubai offices and instructed staff to work remotely.

Meanwhile, HSBC has closed all of its branches in Qatar and implemented a work-from-home policy for its employees in the region amid the heightened security concerns.

The incidents have raised fresh concerns about the security of international financial institutions in the Gulf region as geopolitical tensions escalate.

AFP