Amazon: Drone strikes damaged AWS data centers in Middle East

Bleeping Computer

by Sergiu Gatlan

March 3, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in the Middle East have been hit by drone strikes, causing significant outages. The attacks targeted three facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and one in Bahrain, disrupting critical cloud services in the region. These incidents are believed to be part of Iran's response to recent U.S. and Israeli military operations in the area. Amazon has confirmed that the drone strikes damaged physical infrastructure, including structural issues, power supply disruptions, and water damage from fire suppression efforts. In the UAE, two facilities were directly struck, while the Bahrain site was impacted by a nearby strike. As a result, three availability zones in the UAE and one in Bahrain remain impaired, with ongoing recovery efforts focused on restoring both physical infrastructure and software-based solutions. Amazon is prioritizing customer data protection by advising affected users to back up their information and migrate workloads to alternative regions, such as the U.S., Europe, or Asia Pacific. The company is also implementing disaster recovery plans and remote backups to mitigate further disruptions. This incident highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to geopolitical tensions and cyber threats. The situation underscores the potential for escalating cyber risks in the region, with the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warning of increased Iranian cyberattacks. Additionally, the Red Report 2026 reveals how evolving malware techniques pose new challenges to cybersecurity, emphasizing the importance of robust security measures. For readers interested in security, this story highlights the intersection of physical infrastructure attacks and cyber threats, as well as the need for proactive disaster recovery planning. The incident serves as a reminder of the global interconnectedness of cloud services and the potential impact of regional conflicts on digital systems worldwide.

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Originally published on Bleeping Computer on 3/3/2026