Technology infrastructure becomes "new battlefield," Iran strikes Amazon Middle East data center again
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Against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East, Iran's strikes against American tech giants have further expanded.
Multiple sources, including CCTV and domestic and international media, indicate that Iran recently launched an attack on Amazon's cloud computing data center in Bahrain. This is a follow-up to the first military strike against a large-scale cloud infrastructure in early March, sparking concerns in the market about the security of the tech supply chain and digital infrastructure.
As a result, global risk aversion has clearly increased, with heightened volatility in tech sectors, especially those related to cloud computing, data centers, and AI infrastructure. Some capital has shifted to safe-haven assets like energy and gold. Amazon fell as much as 2.7% early Thursday.
On a deeper level, the attack on Amazon's data center may change the market’s valuation framework for tech giants—from “high-growth assets” to more complex assets that must include “geopolitical risk discount.” As data centers become targets like oilfields and power plants, the operating logic of the global tech industry is being redefined.
Iran Confirms Attack on Amazon Data Center Thursday, Cites Facility’s Connection to Espionage
According to CCTV News, on Thursday, April 2 local time, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that the third phase of the 90th round of military operation "True Promise-4" has begun. The statement said Iran had taken action against multiple targets, including strikes on seven U.S. and Israeli airbases. In this phase, it also struck Amazon’s cloud computing center in Bahrain, claiming the facility was linked to espionage activities.
Some overseas media reported Thursday that Iran publicly stated the attack on Amazon’s data center was retaliation for actions against Iran, directly targeting U.S. tech infrastructure.
British media cited informed sources saying the data center was “damaged” in the attack, with the local fire department involved in firefighting. Multiple outlets reported Iran used drones for the strike, impacting critical cloud infrastructure.
Reports indicate that some AWS Amazon cloud services experienced increased error rates and decreased availability, and enterprises were advised to migrate workloads to other regions.
It is noteworthy that this is not an isolated incident. Back in early March, Amazon’s data centers in the Gulf region suffered multiple attacks.
Early March reports said that AI infrastructure built by U.S. tech firms in the Middle East—worth billions of dollars—became targets in Iranian military operations for the first time.
Amazon reported its facility in Bahrain was damaged due to a nearby attack on March 1, and another two data centers in the UAE were directly hit by drones. Amazon’s cloud service health status page showed the related facilities remain offline.
Iran Warns to Strike 18 U.S. Tech Giants Tuesday, Conflict Spills Over to Technology
The incident occurred as Iran escalated its retaliatory moves against the U.S. and Israel.
According to Xinhua and other media, on Tuesday, March 31, Iran clearly warned it would expand its strike scope to 18 American tech giants, including those involved in cloud computing, chips, and AI, as well as their overseas infrastructure—formally putting tech companies on the military strike list.
Several key trends are evident given the current situation:
- De-neutralization of tech companies
Cloud services previously regarded as commercial infrastructure are now considered potentially serving military and intelligence purposes, making them legitimate targets. - AI infrastructure becomes strategic assets
Middle Eastern countries are investing billions of dollars in AI and data center industries, and these attacks may have a chilling effect on such investments. - Conflict spills over to digital economic systems
From ports and oil & gas to data centers, the scope of strikes is expanding, meaning war’s impact on global supply chains is stretching from the “physical world” to the “digital world.”
From Oil and Gas to Computing Power: Data Centers Become “Hard Targets”
Analysts believe the attack on Amazon’s data center marks a major shift in war targets—from traditional energy facilities to digital infrastructure.
On one hand, the importance of data centers has undergone a fundamental change:
- Cloud computing and AI infrastructure are regarded as the "central nervous system" of national operations
- They rely heavily on electricity, cooling, and networks; damage to key nodes can trigger chain reactions
On the other hand, the threshold for attack isn’t necessarily higher:
- No need to destroy the buildings completely—simply disrupting power or network can cause prolonged paralysis
- Large-scale cloud facilities are deployed in concentrated fashion, making them easier to target as high-value assets
This explains why Amazon AWS became a primary target—it has many self-built data centers in the Middle East, making it a concentrated and valuable target.
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