Amazon’s Cloud Division AWS faces disruptions in Bahrain, UAE amid US-Iran strikes

2026-03-02 - 10:34

DUBAI/MANAMA – Amazon’s cloud division AWS reported significant connectivity issues at its data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, following a series of retaliatory Iranian missile strikes in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. The Iranian strikes, which have targeted airports, ports, and residential areas across the Gulf, have also affected critical infrastructure, including cloud services in the region. One of AWS’ zones in the UAE remained without power on Monday after the company confirmed that “objects” struck the data center, causing sparks and a fire. While Amazon reported some recovery in the UAE, it recommended customers to switch to alternate regions as the company investigates “additional connectivity issues and error rates.” According to Reuters, when asked about the incident, Amazon did not confirm or deny whether the disruption at the UAE data center was connected to the Iranian attacks. The company also did not provide an explanation for the connectivity issues at its Bahrain data center, and it has not responded to Reuters’ requests for further comment. Meanwhile, the situation in the region continues to escalate. Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Tehran and expanded its military campaign to target Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. These strikes come as US President Donald Trump signaled that the US-Israeli military assault on Iranian targets could continue for several weeks. Israel confirmed it was targeting Hezbollah sites, one of Iran’s key allies in the Middle East, after the group claimed responsibility for firing missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response to Khamenei’s death, Iran has vowed to retaliate. The country’s authorities have swiftly set up an interim leadership structure to navigate the ongoing crisis. Iranian state media described the assassination as a significant attack on the country’s political and religious leadership. President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that avenging Khamenei’s death was both “a duty and a right of the nation,” with Iranian officials announcing the launch of a new wave of missiles aimed at “enemy locations” in the region. Gold prices in Pakistan up by Rs13,300 per tola amid US-Iran tensions