FireEye analysts said they believe the targeting of the Saudi Arabian organisation may have been an attempt to gain insight into regional rivals, while the targeting of South Korean companies could be due to South Korea's partnerships with Iran's petrochemical industry as well as South Korea's relationships with Saudi Arabian petrochemical companies. FireEye added that APT33 may have targeted these organizations as a result of Iran's desire to expand its own petrochemical production and improve its competitiveness within the region. The research said APT33 registered multiple domains that masquerade as Saudi Arabian aviation companies and Western organisations that have partnerships to provide training, maintenance and support for Saudi Arabia's military and commercial fleet. John Hultquist, director of intelligence analysis at FireEye said: "Iran has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to globally leverage its cyber espionage capabilities.