Amazon's Bahrain Cloud Operations Damaged in Iranian Strike, FT Reports
Amazon's cloud computing operations in Bahrain have sustained damages following an Iranian strike, according to a report by the Financial Times. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the incident, though specific details remain limited at this time.
Gulf State Confirms Facility Fire After Iranian Aggression
The Financial Times report further states that Bahrain's interior ministry acknowledged civil defense forces were "extinguishing a fire in a facility of a company as a result of the Iranian aggression". The ministry did not explicitly name Amazon in its statement. This strike comes just days after Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued threats to target US companies operating across the Middle East, including major technology firms like Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta.
Amazon has not yet provided an official comment regarding the attack. However, its Amazon Web Services (AWS) facilities in the region have reportedly faced multiple disruptions during the ongoing conflict, highlighting the vulnerability of critical digital infrastructure.
Second Major Disruption to AWS Operations in Bahrain
This incident represents the second time Amazon's cloud infrastructure has been impacted in Bahrain amid the Middle East conflict. Last month, Amazon confirmed that AWS services were "disrupted" in the region. According to a Reuters report, the company stated it was working to recover services while assisting customers in migrating to alternative AWS regions.
In a statement quoted by the news agency, Amazon advised: "As this situation evolves and, as we have advised before, we request those with workloads in the affected regions continue to migrate to other locations." The full extent of the damage and the expected duration of the disruption remain unknown.
AWS serves as Amazon's cloud computing unit and is critical for global website operations and government functions. It also stands as the company's primary profit driver, making any disruption significant both operationally and financially.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Target US Companies
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly issued warnings to American companies, labeling 18 US technology and finance firms as "terrorist" entities. According to a CBS News report, the IRGC sent a message similar to one issued in March, threatening to target these companies in the Middle East.
The IRGC stated that the US had "ignored our repeated warnings about the need to stop terrorist operations, and today, a number of Iranian citizens were martyred in your and your Israeli allies' terrorist attacks." In a post on the Telegram messaging app, the IRGC accused these 18 companies of acting as "spies" for the US government and aiding in strike operations.
The message further declared: "Since the main element in designing and tracking terror targets are American ICT and AI companies, in response to this terrorist operation, from now on the main institutions effective in terrorist operations will be our legitimate targets." This escalation underscores the growing risks for US tech firms operating in volatile regions.
