Data Center Security Tested by Iranian Drone Strikes

Data Center security in focus after Iranian drone strikes damage Amazon facilities in UAE and Bahrain, disrupting operations region-wide.

March 5, 2026

Valerija I.

Three Amazon data centers in the UAE and Bahrain sustained damage from Iranian drone strikes.
The attacks caused operational disruptions and ongoing outages for AWS cloud services in the region.
Amazon advised customers to back up their data and migrate workloads to other AWS Regions.
This is the first known instance of a major US tech firm’s data centers being directly targeted militarily.

Key Takeaways

Disruption for Amazon Cloud Operations

Amazon Web Services (AWS) reported physical damages to three of its data centers in the Middle East following Iranian drone strikes targeting the UAE and Bahrain. Bisnow reports that the strikes, occurring Sunday as part of a wider regional conflict, disrupted power delivery and triggered emergency fire suppression systems, leading to water damage in some facilities. As of Tuesday afternoon, AWS cloud services in the region continued to experience outages, with recovery expected to take time.

Customer Advisory and Regional Impact

AWS advised customers operating in its Middle East regions to immediately back up their data and, if possible, shift workloads to data centers in other geographic regions. Ongoing conflict and threats have heightened uncertainty, making the operating environment unstable for both local and international firms relying on data center infrastructure in these areas.

Data Center security Concerns Grow

This marks the first time data centers owned by a major US technology company have been directly hit in a military exchange, underlining growing worries about the vulnerability of data centers in conflict zones. Industry and defense leaders warn such attacks could lead to broad economic disruptions and threaten the continuity of military and government operations reliant on cloud services.

Expansion Amid Risks

Despite heightened risks, leading tech firms are expanding their data center footprints across the Gulf. Microsoft recently announced a $15B investment for new data centers in the UAE, while Google, Oracle, and Saudi Arabia’s state-backed Humain continue to build out capacity. The surge in AI-driven computing demand is also accelerating the need for large-scale digital infrastructure, pushing companies to secure more resilient facilities and diversified global capacity. As regional demand for digital and AI infrastructure intensifies, the need for robust data center security remains in sharp focus.