Iranian Drone Strikes on Amazon’s Gulf Data Centers Signal Emerging Tactics in Modern Warfare

The recent drone strikes on Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in the Gulf have underscored a significant shift in modern warfare tactics. Last week, three AWS facilities—two located in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain—were targeted by Iranian drones or missiles. These attacks forced the facilities offline, resulting in widespread service outages that disrupted banking, payment systems, delivery applications, and enterprise software across the region.

The U.S. military utilizes AWS for various operations, including running Anthropic’s AI model Claude for intelligence functions. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the Bahrain facility was “deliberately targeted” to assess its role in supporting military and intelligence activities against Iran. AWS has not commented on this claim, and it remains unclear whether the strikes affected U.S. military computing operations.

This incident marks a notable first in the deliberate targeting of data centers during a conflict. Experts suggest that this trend is likely to continue, as data centers become increasingly recognized as vital strategic assets and, consequently, vulnerable targets.

The Blurred Lines Between Commercial and Military Operations

The distinction between commercial cloud computing and military operations has become increasingly blurred. The Pentagon’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability and its Joint All-Domain Command and Control networks rely on the same commercial infrastructure that supports everyday services like banking and ride-hailing apps. Reports indicate that the U.S. military employed Anthropic’s AI model Claude, which operates on AWS, for intelligence assessments and battle simulations during the recent Iranian strikes.

This dual-use nature of data centers implies that attacks on commercial facilities can have immediate military ramifications, and vice versa. Zachary Kallenborn, a PhD researcher at King’s College London, noted that if data centers become critical hubs for military information, they are likely to face increasing threats from both cyber and physical attacks.

Kallenborn coauthored a study published in the journal Risk Analysis that examined “globally critical infrastructure,” including data centers and subsea cables. He emphasized that these facilities can serve as crucial “choke points” for adversaries aiming to disrupt civilian economies or military operations. He found that many senior officials worldwide are not systematically considering these risks.

The Need for Enhanced Security Measures

Historically, data centers have implemented various physical security measures, such as high fences, controlled access, and surveillance cameras. However, these precautions primarily focus on preventing espionage or sabotage from ground-level threats rather than aerial attacks.

Data centers are expansive and visible, relying on exposed infrastructure—like cooling units, diesel generators, and gas turbines—that can be compromised without a direct hit to the server halls. Sam Winter-Levy, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated that disabling some of these systems could take a data center completely offline.

Chris McGuire, an expert in AI and technology competition, suggested that data centers in the Middle East may need to adopt missile defense measures to protect against aerial threats. He remarked that if investments in the region continue, missile defense systems for data centers could become necessary.

Kallenborn previously indicated that as warfare increasingly incorporates drones and robotic systems, even localized conflicts could escalate into broader regional or global confrontations. This could lead adversaries to target remote command centers and the data infrastructure essential for controlling unmanned systems.

The Broader Implications for Global Data Infrastructure

The challenges extend beyond the data centers themselves. Seventeen submarine cables traverse the Red Sea, facilitating the majority of data traffic between Europe, Asia, and Africa. With Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and renewed threats from Houthi forces in the Red Sea, both critical data conduits are now situated in active conflict zones. Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at network intelligence firm Kentik, warned that simultaneous closures of these choke points would result in a globally disruptive event, a scenario he noted has never occurred before.

The recent strikes on the UAE and Bahrain data centers come at a precarious time for the Gulf’s aspirations to establish itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence. Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s tour of the region last May, over $2 trillion in investment pledges were generated, including plans for the Stargate UAE campus in Abu Dhabi, which aims to be the largest AI facility outside the United States. Additionally, Amazon has committed $5 billion to an AI hub in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the structural advantages that have attracted tech companies to the Gulf—such as low energy costs, ample funding, and strategic positioning—the recent attacks have raised concerns about the future. Winter-Levy cautioned that physical assaults on data centers are likely to become more frequent as the significance of AI continues to grow. He characterized the strikes as “a harbinger of what’s to come,” warning that such incidents will not be confined to the Middle East.

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Published on 2026-03-09 22:05:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk