Why Iran is targeting the artificial intelligence infrastructure of Gulf countries

"In the early hours of March 1, an Amazon data center in the UAE was struck by a drone, the company reported. Shortly afterward, another center belonging to the American tech giant suffered a direct hit. And a short time later, a third, this time in Bahrain, was damaged by another drone strike. Since Amazon is the preferred partner of many companies and governments in the region, the attacks caused immediate disruptions."

"Iranian attacks against the digital ecosystems of its Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf are considered among the first military actions of their kind in the world, and have exposed new vulnerabilities in these countries, including their multi-billion-dollar investment to become a hub for the development of artificial intelligence (AI)."

"For Iran, it has been a cheap and effective way to disrupt public and private services, while for its neighbors in the region, it has served as a warning about their economic diversification strategies."

During Iran's February 28 military response to US-Israeli actions, attacks targeted not only energy infrastructure but also strategic digital facilities. Amazon data centers in the UAE and Bahrain sustained direct drone strikes, causing widespread service disruptions across the region. Major banks, news outlets, and ride-sharing applications experienced outages due to these attacks. This represents among the first military actions globally targeting digital ecosystems. The strikes exposed significant vulnerabilities in Arab Gulf states' infrastructure and their multi-billion-dollar investments in becoming artificial intelligence hubs. For Iran, these attacks provided a cost-effective method to disrupt services, while for regional neighbors, they highlighted risks in economic diversification strategies.

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