Iran’s IRGC claims it has ‘destroyed’ Amazon’s central data hub in Bahrain

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Tuesday that it had launched a missile strike targeting Amazon’s central data hub in Bahrain, claiming the operation resulted in the “destruction” of the facility. The attack was described by the IRGC as a retaliatory measure against U.S. military actions, particularly the recent strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure. According to reports from Euro News, the IRGC cited a statement from its public relations office, which was disseminated through Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency. The statement claimed that the missile barrage also hit U.S. air defense systems and radar installations in the Bahraini regions of Muharraq and Riffa. The strike occurred amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, with direct military confrontations entering their tenth consecutive day. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts and communications between the two nations, the situation has remained volatile. U.S. President Donald Trump has previously warned that Iran would face severe consequences for attacks on American personnel, including the deaths of three U.S. service members in Jordan and Iraq. The IRGC framed its action against Amazon’s Bahrain data center as part of a broader campaign of retaliation against perceived U.S. aggression. In its official statement, the IRGC linked the strike to the U.S. military assault on the Darkhovin nuclear site, which is currently under construction. The IRGC accused the United States of attacking civilian infrastructure during the attack, which it described as a violation of international law. In response, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the International Organisations in Vienna issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to formally condemn the U.S. strike on the Darkhovin site. Earlier this year, Amazon’s cloud operations in Bahrain were affected by an Iranian strike, according to a report by the Financial Times. The Gulf state’s interior ministry stated that civil defence forces were responding to a fire at a facility operated by a company, though it did not name Amazon directly. This incident appears to have preceded the current attack, suggesting a pattern of Iranian cyber and physical targeting of Western tech firms operating in the region. Additionally, reports from Al Jazeera indicate that the IRGC’s naval command claimed responsibility for an attack on a data center owned by Oracle in Dubai. This aligns with previous statements from the IRGC warning that it would target U.S.-based technology companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta. The IRGC has consistently expressed hostility toward U.S. military presence in the Middle East and has repeatedly threatened to strike American interests in the region. The latest attacks on Amazon and Oracle follow a series of similar incidents, raising concerns among cybersecurity experts and regional governments about the increasing risk of digital infrastructure being targeted by state-sponsored actors. While the extent of damage to Amazon’s Bahrain data center remains unclear, the IRGC’s claim of destruction underscores the growing intensity of the conflict between Iran and the West. As the situation continues to evolve, the international community will likely monitor developments closely, especially given the potential implications for global cybersecurity and the stability of critical infrastructure. The next steps may involve further statements from the U.S. government, responses from regional allies, and assessments from international organizations regarding the legality and impact of these attacks. For now, the focus remains on the immediate aftermath of the strike and the broader geopolitical ramifications of the ongoing confrontation.