Iran Strikes Leave Amazon Availability Zones “Hard Down” in Bahrain and Dubai, Per Internal AWS Communication
Amazon tells its employees to deprioritize these regions as the Iran war deals meaningful damage to its infrastructure in the Gulf.
Iranian military actions have caused significant disruptions to Amazon Web Services (AWS) availability zones in Bahrain and Dubai, leaving them "hard down" and impairing services in the region, according to internal AWS communications. The strikes have resulted in substantial damage to AWS infrastructure in the Gulf, prompting Amazon to advise its employees to deprioritize these regions.
The internal memo, reviewed by Big Technology, states that the two regions are "continuing to be impaired," and services should not expect normal levels of redundancy and resiliency. Amazon is actively working to free up capacity in the affected areas and has advised customers to scale their services to the minimal footprint required to support migration to other regions.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson referred to a company blog post that acknowledged the disruptions. The post emphasized that Amazon is supporting affected customers by helping them migrate to alternate AWS regions, with many already successfully operating their applications from other parts of the world. The spokesperson reiterated the company's previous advice for customers with workloads in the affected regions to continue migrating to other locations.
The attacks on AWS infrastructure in Bahrain and Dubai have occurred as the conflict between Iran and the United States escalates. Iran has targeted AWS facilities in Bahrain multiple times, with one strike causing a fire. Similarly, AWS facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have also sustained multiple hits. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened other U.S. tech giants, including Microsoft, Google, and Apple, indicating a broader strategic targeting of major technology companies in the region.
Both Bahrain and Dubai have three "availability zones" or clusters of compute. According to the internal communication, two zones in each location are "hard down," while the third is "impaired but functioning." The extent of the damage and the timeline for recovery are not yet clear, but the situation underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the Gulf region amid ongoing tensions.
As the conflict continues, AWS and other technology companies are likely to face increased scrutiny and potential disruptions. The situation highlights the need for robust contingency plans and diversified infrastructure to ensure continued operations in the face of geopolitical uncertainties. For customers relying on AWS services in Bahrain and Dubai, the migration process will be crucial to maintaining business continuity and minimizing downtime.
