On March 1, Iran attacked Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE with drones, disrupting digital services in the region. Ten days later, Tasnim news agency, linked to Iran's IRGC, declared offices and infrastructure of Google, Microsoft, IBM, Nvidia, Oracle, and Palantir in Israel and the Gulf as legitimate targets.
On March 1, Iran used drones to attack Amazon Web Services data centers in the United Arab Emirates, causing significant disruptions to consumer and business digital services in the region. Ten days later, Tasnim news agency—affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—signaled an expansion of targets to include Google, Microsoft, IBM, Nvidia, Oracle, and Palantir, labeling their offices and infrastructure in Israel and parts of the Gulf as “legitimate targets,” according to Al Jazeera. “As the scope of the regional war expands to infrastructure war, the scope of Iran’s legitimate target expands,” Tasnim stated. UK-based think tank Rusi notes that targeting data centers makes strategic sense for disrupting military capabilities when they host both civilian and military workloads. It outlines three reasons: first, economic and reputational damage to Gulf states positioning themselves as stable investment hubs; second, pressure on the US via disruptions to major stock market players like US tech firms; third, these providers support governments and militaries, including US defense contracts such as the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability program. Rusi adds that Iran likely aimed to send a message rather than confirm military use at specific sites. The disruption also affected everyday services like payments and banking, creating psychological impact. OpinioJuris highlights risks of dual-use infrastructure and urges physical separation of civilian and military data centers as a precaution under international law. Rusi concludes that these events add momentum to debates on governing cloud infrastructure as a strategic asset at the intersection of economics and conflict.
