Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that it is unable to restore access to certain cloud computing facilities in the Middle East after strikes by Iran earlier this year. In a recent status update, AWS confirmed that one facility in Bahrain and one of three data-hosting zones in the UAE were severely affected during the conflict. The company has indicated that the damage incurred exceeds the design capability of its regional systems.

The update specified that the damage in Bahrain impacted multiple availability zones. An availability zone refers to a group of one or more data centres located within the same geographic region, which AWS utilises to ensure continuity of services. Following the incident, the company stated it is currently assisting customers based in Bahrain to re-establish their operations in other regions.

In the UAE, AWS has reported that it could not restore access to resources hosted solely within one availability zone, termed mec1-az2. Recovery operations are ongoing in the wider UAE and the other affected zones, with most impacted customers having already transitioned their workloads or restored data from backups to sustain services elsewhere.

Further Developments and Recovery Efforts

Reports indicate that AWS is actively replacing the damaged infrastructure in the UAE. The company plans to provide additional updates on the restoration of services in that region in the coming months. For Bahrain, AWS is expected to offer a more detailed update in early 2027 regarding the situation.

The disruption to AWS services is believed to have begun in March, following a series of US and Israeli attacks on Iran. In retaliation, Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted Israel and Gulf states housing US military bases. AWS initially reported that two of its facilities in the UAE had been directly struck, while a drone attack near its facility in Bahrain resulted in physical damage.

After the first availability zone in Bahrain sustained damage in March, AWS began recommending that customers transfer their workloads to other regions. Many customers complied with this advice prior to the area becoming unavailable due to further damage in a second availability zone in April. Subsequent statements indicated that recovery efforts were still in progress.

Iran’s Claims and Wider Implications

In July 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran claimed responsibility for targeting and destroying AWS’s central data infrastructure in Bahrain using cruise missiles. While this claim was made public, Amazon, Bahraini authorities, and officials from the US did not confirm the details surrounding the alleged attack on these facilities.

Amazon was not the only entity seemingly targeted by Iran amid the ongoing conflict. Tehran reportedly claimed to have struck an Oracle facility in April, although Oracle has not verified this information. The IRGC has also issued threats against several regional technology companies, indicating a potential targeting of sites belonging to prominent firms such as Google, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Palantir.

As the situation unfolds, cloud service customers in the affected regions are navigating operational challenges. AWS continues to support its clients and has committed to maintaining services in other unaffected regions during this period of disruption and recovery.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share