Amazon has reported significant disruptions to its cloud services in the Middle East, affecting multiple data centers. The issues stem from drone strikes that have targeted web infrastructure, leading to a fire and sparks at a facility in the United Arab Emirates. Two facilities in the UAE have been directly impacted, with an indirect effect on a center in Bahrain due to a nearby explosion.
The company's Health Dashboard indicates that the situation is serious, with the operational status classified as “Disrupted” in the UAE and “Impacted” in Bahrain. Amazon has advised its customers to consider backing up their data and implementing disaster recovery plans as the situation remains unpredictable.
While Amazon did not confirm the involvement of Iranian strikes, the situation reflects a broader context of internet disruptions in Iran, where connectivity has been severely limited since the beginning of military actions on February 28. Experts point to the Iranian regime's actions as a factor in this information blackout, although some traffic continues to reach the country.
Additionally, a cyber-offensive appears to be underway, targeting Iranian news outlets and promoting messages against the ruling government. Amazon’s AWS Management Console and command line interface have also been affected, highlighting the extensive impact of these incidents on regional operations.