Iranian drones struck three Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers across the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Sunday, marking the first time a major U.S. Technology company’s cloud infrastructure has been directly targeted by military action. The attacks caused structural damage, triggered fire suppression systems, and severed power to critical infrastructure, disrupting services across the Gulf region.
Amazon confirmed that two facilities in the UAE were “directly struck” by drones, while a third in Bahrain sustained damage from a nearby strike. The coordinated assault had an immediate impact on civilian life, with millions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi experiencing disruptions to essential services, including taxi payments, food delivery apps, and mobile banking, on Monday.
Iranian state television reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched the attacks “to identify the role of these centres in supporting the enemy’s military and intelligence activities.” The strikes represent a significant escalation in asymmetric warfare, targeting critical digital infrastructure.
The attacks have prompted concerns about the security of cloud infrastructure in the region and the broader implications for the UAE’s ambitions to become a global hub for artificial intelligence (AI). “The UAE really wants to be a major AI player,” said Chris McGuire, an AI and technology competition expert and former White House national security council official. “Their government has very strong conviction about this technology, probably stronger than any other government in the world, and if there’s going to start to be security questions around that, then they’re going to have to resolve those very quickly, somehow.”
The UAE has invested heavily in data centers and fiber infrastructure to support its AI ambitions, attracting significant foreign investment, including $5.3 billion from AWS alone. Still, the vulnerability of this infrastructure was starkly exposed by the drone strikes. According to Turner & Townsend’s Global Data Centre Index, the UAE ranks 44th in the league table of most expensive unit cost per watt out of 52, suggesting a focus on rapid deployment over robust physical security.
Experts suggest the attacks may force a reassessment of data center security protocols. Sean Gorman, chief executive of Zephr.xyz, a contractor to the US air force, noted that the UAE and Bahrain’s positioning as AI hubs likely factored into Tehran’s planning. “I believe the Iranians are building on tactics they’ve seen be effective in the Ukraine conflict. Asymmetric warfare that can target critical infrastructure creates pressure on adversaries by disrupting public safety and economic activity,” Gorman said.
The UAE’s geographic location, as a critical subsea cable landing point between Europe and Asia, further amplifies the strategic importance of its digital infrastructure. However, this as well presents vulnerabilities, particularly the concentration of landing stations on the east coast at Fujairah, creating a potential geographic chokepoint.
Vili Lehdonvirta, senior fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, acknowledged the significant costs associated with enhanced data center defenses, but emphasized the real and growing threat. Eric Schmidt, former chair of the US National Security Commission on AI, previously suggested that a country falling behind in an AI arms race might consider targeting an adversary’s data centers.
The Iranian strikes have prompted discussion about the need for air defense systems around data centers, similar to those used to protect maritime assets from piracy. Analysts say AWS and other major cloud providers may need to invest in such measures to reassure clients, and investors. Amazon has advised its clients to secure their data away from the region.
Where Iran might strike next remains a concern. Lehdonvirta pointed to the vulnerability of the fiberoptic cables connecting the region’s data centers to the rest of the world, which run through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically sensitive waterway closely monitored by U.S. And allied forces.
