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Iran Drone Strikes Hit AWS Data Centers in UAE and Bahrain, Disrupting Gulf AI Hub Plans

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Smoke plume from drone strike near data center infrastructure in UAE representing Iran's attack on AWS facilities

Iranian IRGC drones struck three Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and Bahrain in a coordinated attack, causing widespread service disruption across the Gulf and raising fundamental security questions for the region's ambitious AI infrastructure plans. The strikes — believed to be the first deliberate targeting of commercial data centers in active warfare — knocked millions of users in Dubai and Abu Dhabi off cloud-dependent services including banking, payments, and food delivery for hours. Analysts now warn that Gulf states' AI hub ambitions may require investment in physical air defense for data center infrastructure, on top of existing cybersecurity measures.

Key Takeaways

  • Iranian Shahed 136 drones struck two AWS data centers in the UAE and a third in Bahrain in a coordinated attack; AWS advised clients to secure data away from the region after the strikes on Sunday morning
  • Outage disrupted banking, payments, and app services for millions of UAE residents; Iran's IRGC cited "support for enemy military and intelligence activities" in AWS infrastructure as justification for the strikes
  • Security experts warn Gulf AI hub plans — including a UAE-US AI campus announced during Trump's May 2025 Gulf tour — may now require "missile defence on datacentres" alongside cybersecurity to remain viable

Original source: The Guardian