US firms tell Middle East staff to work from home amid Iran strikes

US and Israeli strikes on Iran set off retaliatory attacks across several Gulf states over the weekend, and photos showed missiles streaking across Dubai's sky. Fallout from intercepted missiles caused fires and other problems, and Amazon Web Services said connectivity from one of its UAE data centers was down after the facility was "impacted by objects" that created "sparks and fire." Major US banks moved quickly to prioritise staff safety.

Goldman Sachs has told employees across the region to work from home and to follow the advice of local officials while staying close to clients. Citigroup also advised employees to work from home until further notice, calling employee safety its "number one priority" and saying it has robust contingency and resilience plans.

JPMorgan has urged staff in parts of the region to work from home and is assessing the situation regularly to adjust guidance.

United Arab Emirates, Dubai

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